September 2015 Big future for cyber-physical manufacturing systems. Page 36 What will the IIoT mean to manufacturers?

ufacturers? Page 50

INTERNET
of THINGS
HANDBOOK

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 Cover image courtesy of: Mentor Graphics CONTENTS

16
Internet of Things
[Link]

08 Would the IoT make for a boring movie? 34 SoMs speed the move to the
Industrial Internet of Things
10 Low-power wireless links Systems-on-modules and platform approaches can
help keep IIoT efforts from getting lost in the weeds
let the IoT proliferate
of interfacing and hardware development.
Through beacon technology, smartphones will
passively pick up information about activities
nearby, extending the IoT to a whole new range 36 Big future for cyber-physical
of applications. manufacturing systems
The real value of the IoT for manufacturers will be in
16 The circuit protection connection
the analytics arising from cyber-physical models of
for wearables and the IoT
machines and systems.
Circuit protection technologies and board
layout strategies help promote safety, reliability
and connectivity. 42 A case of IoT fatigue?
Market studies show consumers are less enthusiastic

22 The IoT and connected highways

about connected products these days. But electronic
suppliers are still designing components and
Dedicated short-range communication techniques software aimed at quickly implementing the Internet
could usher in connected cars and safer driving. of Things.

27 Industrial power for 46 Building IoT gateways to the cloud

the Internet of Things Test instruments ensure connections to the cloud
Many devices on the Industrial IoT will need coexist peacefully with IoT communication schemes.
rugged primary and rechargeable lithium
batteries to provide reliable, long-term power.
48 Data, data everywhere,
but no insights in sight
30 Real-time operating systems for

50
wearable devices in the IoT
50 What will the Industrial Internet of
Operating systems and the way they handle
Things mean to manufacturers?
tasks can make or break applications
such as activity trackers and How will the IIoT affect manufacturing operations
fashion electronics. and processes? Experts weigh in.

54 IIoT—the technological changes coming

to automation equipment and systems
Experts discuss the changes in technology that will
enable greater connectivity and data gathering, and
how it will affect your designs.

27
60 Who’s investing in IIoT and why
Medical, automation, automotive, food and
beverage, material handling—so many industries
plan to take advantage of IIoT. Experts explain why.

2 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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 GRAPHICS EDITORIAL VIDEO MARKETING

Director, Creative Services Editorial Director Integrated Media Specialist Marketing Manager
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Visual Design Manager Managing Editor Video Coordinator Marketing Coordinator

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mclaney@[Link] llangnau@[Link] jjones@[Link] cevilsizer@[Link]
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Graphic Designer/ Executive Editor NEW MEDIA/WEB/ Marketing & Event

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 Would the IoT make
Internet of Things
[Link]

for a boring movie?

LELAND TESCHLER
Executive Editor
@DW_LeeTeschler

T
here’s a new movie coming out about the The research was part of an array of early
life of Apple’s Steve Jobs. Despite what you investigations into wireless topics. Though it was
might conclude from movies like this one, not the basis for future work in the area, a decade
the birth of new technologies seldom involves much or so later the same ideas would gel into both
drama. At least that’s the conclusion I’ve come to RFID concepts and into a discipline known as near
after reflecting on a talk I attended in 1988 during the field communication (NFC). NFC is the technology
International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC). that lets two cell phones exchange information
The ISSCC is considered one of the premier simply by touching each other. The first NFC
technical conferences for IC design. Papers accepted patents came in the late 1990s when a couple of
for presentation there are generally considered either Brits worked out the details for use in Star Wars
“important” or “interesting.” Twenty-seven years ago, I toys. Now, of course, NFC is found in mobile
was among those listening to a paper that I’m pretty payment schemes, such as Apple’s Apple Pay, as
sure organizers lumped into the “interesting” category. well as in more prosaic uses, such as swapping
The main author was a kid from the Massachusetts selfies on smartphones. Both RFID and NFC are
Institute of Technology who, judging by his demeanor expected to have big roles in IoT scenarios.
at the podium, was pretty happy to be there. He should It would have been hard to see that in those
have been: The work he described was his master’s pre-world-wide-web days. Back then, there were a lot
thesis. Though it wasn’t even doctorial work, it got of refinements necessary before wireless technologies
selected for ISSCC. That must have been quite a plum. were ready for prime time. For example, NFC schemes
The kid’s project demonstrated a way of letting now use a frequency shift modulation rather than the
ICs communicate with each other wirelessly—single AM described in the ISSCC paper. Nevertheless, that
chips couldn’t do that back then. He was thinking early work demonstrated the concept. So you might
about RFID-like applications such as chips embedded wonder whether people in that ISSCC audience
realized they were seeing the
NFC is found in mobile payment schemes such as first glimmers of ideas that would
eventually become significant
Apple’s Apple Pay as well as in more prosaic uses communication technologies.
such as swapping selfies on smart phones. Well, if anybody had those
feelings, I certainly couldn’t
detect them. The room where the
in animals (cattle, for example) that could presentation took place was only half full. As I recall,
be scanned and identified as they passed the author got polite applause and fielded a couple of
through a gate. straightforward technical questions after his talk. There
The kid went on to describe an IC were no dramatic moments.
containing transmission and receive coils. The kid who gave that ISSCC paper, by the way,
Rather than drive current through the coils, which was Adam Malamy, an engineer who has gone on
would consume a lot of power, the chip switched to work in video compression and decompression.
its coil impedance high and low to change, thereby Safe to say, if moviemakers ever decide to put
inducing an amplitude modulation in an external the beginnings of IoT technologies up on the big
magnetic field. The amplitude modulation resulted in a screen, they’d have a tough time making Adam’s
data rate of around 50 kBd. small part melodramatic.

8 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

Lee_EE_IoT_Vs4.indd 8 9/14/15 10:31 AM

 ...Some Things Change...

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F i l e d T h e i r F i r s t
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i n d u s t r y s t a n d a r d .

i n 2 0 1 1 M P D
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 Internet of Things

Low-power wireless links

[Link]

let the IoT proliferate

JASON TOLLEFSON
Microchip Technology

A
Through beacon technology, nalysts project there will be tens of billions of “things” making
up the IoT, and each of these things will require power. The IoT
smartphones will passively will necessitate innovation in energy-conservation techniques,
particularly because many of the ideas envisioned involve remote nodes
pick up information about residing far away from power lines. Extremely low-power microcontrollers
(MCUs) and Bluetooth Smart radios can help solve power problems.
There is a lot of debate about just what constitutes the Internet
activities nearby, extending of Things. Is it connected car keys? Is it the connected refrigerator?
Despite the debate, a few key aspects have emerged. For one thing,
the IoT to a whole new range IoT objects are uniquely identifiable. They also connect to the existing
Internet infrastructure and offer services that go beyond machine-to-
of applications. machine techniques.
One particular type of IoT connection that has gotten a lot of
attention is that of locale-based services. Examples include getting
an instant update on ski conditions as you board the lift, or an instant
coupon as you walk in the grocery store. The same capabilities could
deliver customized status updates of activities that are close to home,
such as your child’s tooth-brushing habits.

A typical blood pressure cuff as handled by a Bluetooth Smart app. Profiles in Bluetooth are
specifications for how a device works in a particular application—for low energy devices.

10 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

Microchip_EE_IoT_Vs3.indd 10 9/11/15 1:43 PM

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 Internet of Things
[Link]

It looks as though locale-based small transmitters (usually battery

services will mainly be delivered by powered) that beam out information
smartphones communicating with that a smartphone or tablet picks
low-power MCUs and Bluetooth up. Beacons are not new. The Apple
Smart radio. The Bluetooth Smart iBeacon standard has been out for
spec (also called Bluetooth LE) is two years. But it is proprietary and
basically a low-power version of only works with Apple equipment.
Bluetooth. It offers designers a The Bluetooth Smart standard
simple way to add IoT capabilities. is relatively new and of most interest
Smartphones now ship with for IoT devices. This new standard
integrated Bluetooth Smart protocol. enables low-power operation, a
A smartphone app can control the benefit for IoT applications. The
user experience and manage the data original Bluetooth spec, now called
transfer to and from the edge device. Bluetooth Classic, offers a longer
Here, an edge device is a mechanism range and throughput of 2.1 Mbps.
that provides entry into an enterprise But low-data-rate applications like
or service provider network. Routers IoT temperature sensors don’t need
and network switches are both rates this high. Bluetooth Smart’s
examples of edge devices. advantage is that it connects quickly,
Bluetooth Smart can work has throughput matching IoT needs
like what’s called a beacon, vastly and consumes less power.
simplifying the pairing process (that One recent development in
is, establishing a connection between beacon technology is the release
two devices). Beacons can advertise by Google of Eddystone, an open-
their presence to the smartphone source, cross-platform Bluetooth
when the two are in close proximity. Smart beacon format. Eddystone
In contrast, the pairing of two WiFi supports multiple types of “frames,”
devices can only take place when basically data bursts performing
a user pushes a WiFi Direct button various functions.
on the router, which often resides in Bluetooth beacons
another room. communicate just one way. For
When low-power MCUs mate to beacons working with smartphones,
a Bluetooth Smart radio, the MCUs the usual goal is to send a
typically collect sensor data. Typical notification that the phone user
data might include location or hours can tap. Tapping launches another
application that takes some action—
The typical use example is that of buying a drink from accepting a store coupon, say.
The beacon spec defines
a soda machine with a smartphone. For this one-time something called a Universally
Unique Identifier (UUID). This is a
data transaction, sending out a URL lets the phone 128-bit value that uniquely identifies
every specific beacon in the world.
user get a drink without having to install an app. A typical use for a UUID might be
to find smartphones near a store
of use. The MCU then stores the data having a specific UUID, then send
it collects in a usable format. When a the phone users a coupon.
smartphone connects with the device, Eddystone also defines a URL
the data uploads and either gets frame. A specific location can send
transmitted or displayed. out a URL frame instead of a UUID.
It is useful to cover Bluetooth Doing so would open a Web browser.
beacon capabilities in some detail. The typical use example is that of
Bluetooth beacons are typically buying a drink from a soda machine

12 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

Microchip_EE_IoT_Vs3.indd 12 9/11/15 1:43 PM

 LOW-POWER WIRELESS

One example of a Bluetooth Smart controller is the RN4020 Bluetooth Version 4.1
low energy module. On board is a complete Bluetooth stack. It is controlled via ASCII
commands over a UART interface. The RN4020 also includes all Bluetooth SIG profiles,
as well as MLDP (Microchip Low-energy Data Profile) for custom data. A built-in PCB
antenna is tuned for long range, typically over 100 m.

with a smartphone. For this one-time data transaction, sending out a URL Bluetooth, which uses non-Gaussian
lets the phone user get a drink without having to install an app. FSK. GFSK isn’t compatible with FSK and
Ephemeral Identifiers (EIDs) are frames defined with security in mind. has a preamble that is different than in
There seem to be few details published about this type of frame. Finally, a Bluetooth Classic. Some Bluetooth radios
frame for Telemetry Data is meant for sending diagnostic information about will work in either of these modes, but
the beacon, such as its remaining battery power. must be configured for one mode or the
Readers might wonder why Bluetooth beacons are necessary for other to do so.
locale-based services when GPS is already available. The answer is that Another benefit of Bluetooth Smart
GPS transceivers consume a lot of power and aren’t particularly accurate is its packet size. Bluetooth Smart packets
in densely populated areas. They also don’t work well indoors. For are smaller than those of classic Bluetooth
example, in a scenario where two bus stops are across the street from each by as much as 60%. This means the
other, GPS might get confused about which was closer to the phone user. Bluetooth Smart radio consumes energy
Beacons wouldn’t have this problem. for one-third as long as the older standard.
The Bluetooth Smart radio reduces
LOWERING ENERGY DISSIPATION energy use as well by minimizing its
The Bluetooth SIG defines several profiles—specifications for how a device connection time. The radio can stay
works in a particular application—for low-energy devices. Among them paired with a smartphone without
is a profile for heart rate. A blood pressure cuff employing Bluetooth requiring a constant connection. A
communication, for example, might make use of the heart rate profile. constant connection consumes constant
The profile might handle services such as device and blood pressure power, so removing this requirement
measurements. The profile would also include a UUID—in this example, saves energy. The Bluetooth Smart
probably specifying the manufacturer. radio features a “Connect Interval” and
Profiles are spelled out in a section of the Bluetooth spec called “Slave Latency,” which make pairing this
the Bluetooth Smart GATT or Generic Attribute Profiles. The profiles are way possible.
typically supported in the Bluetooth device directly, and all current low- The connection parameters for
energy application profiles are based on the GATT. Bluetooth Smart were set up with energy
Bluetooth Smart employs several measures to keep energy use low. efficiency in mind. These parameters
For example, it uses GFSK, or Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying, while determine when and how a peripheral
transmitting. This method is simpler and requires less power than classic exchanges information with a central unit.

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 13

Microchip_EE_IoT_Vs3.indd 13 9/11/15 1:43 PM

 Internet of Things
[Link]

The central unit sets the connection parameters, but the To make sure the peripheral hasn’t died somehow,
peripheral can send a so-called Connection Parameter there is another parameter called the connection
Update Request to change them. supervision timeout. This period determines the time from
There are basically three different connection the last data exchange until a link is considered lost. A
parameters. One called the connection interval central unit won’t try to reconnect until the timeout has
determines how often the central unit asks the peripheral passed. The timeout feature is useful for handling devices
that go in and out of range,
All in all, connection parameters let peripherals where the central unit needs to
notice when this happens.
transmit data as frequently as every 7.5 All in all, connection
parameters let peripherals
msec, or as infrequently as every 33 min, thus transmit data as frequently as
every 7.5 msec, or as infrequently
optimizing energy use. as every 33 min, thus optimizing
energy use.
for data. Here, the peripheral can set what’s called
the slave latency period. This factor sets how long the LOW-POWER MCU FEATURES
peripheral can ignore the central unit’s request for data. Of course, the MCU figures in the power equation. MCU
By setting slave latency to some non-zero number, the power consumption is largely determined by the power-
peripheral can choose how long it can wait when the mode state and clock speed.
central unit asks for data. (However, the peripheral can Many new MCUs include low-power modes and can
send data any time it needs to.) change operating modes under software control. Typical
Slave latency lets a peripheral stay asleep (and thus operating modes include run, doze, idle, low-voltage
save energy) if it doesn’t have data to send, but still sleep and deep sleep. Each of these modes reduces
send data fast if necessary. The classic example is that of power consumption under specific operating conditions.
wireless keyboards and mice. They can sleep when there For example, the PIC MCU has doze and low-voltage
is no data to send, but still have a low latency (and a low sleep modes. In doze, the MCU can run code more
connection interval for the mouse). slowly than its on-chip peripherals. This reduces current

Slave latency lets a peripheral stay asleep (and thus save energy) if it doesn’t have data to
send, but still send data fast if necessary. The classic example is that of wireless keyboards
and mice. They can sleep when there is no data to send, but still have a low latency (and a
low connection interval for the mouse).

14 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

Microchip_EE_IoT_Vs3.indd 14 9/11/15 1:44 PM

 LOW-POWER WIRELESS

Comparing Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth Smart

consumption but still allows peripherals, such as UARTs, All in all, use of low-power modes for core-
to communicate at the proper baud rate. Low-voltage independent peripherals, MCUs and Bluetooth Smart
sleep mode switches out the high-performance, on- radios make it possible to connect a wide variety of
chip regulator for a low-current regulator. This allows applications to the IoT. Smartphones provide an instant
full MCU state retention using a current of only a few gateway to get online wirelessly. This connectivity will
hundred nanoamps. A transition from run to low- likely let people simplify their lives.
voltage-sleep reduces current consumption by 99.9%.
Low-power MCUs also offer on-the-fly clock REFERENCES
switching. This is the ability to change clock frequency
depending on the task. For example, the MCU might run Bluetooth Smart specs
at full clock speed when computing math-intensive filter [Link]/
TechnologyOverview/Pages/[Link]
algorithms on sensor data. If the MCU is in a simple loop
and awaiting an interrupt, it might dial back clock speed Bluetooth module
to reduce power. These methods can reduce current [Link]/downloads/en/
consumption from 5 mA to 26 µA—a savings of 99%. DeviceDoc/70005191A%20(1).pdf
Similarly, many low-power MCUs have smart
peripherals that can operate independent of the
program execution. They are independent of the MCU
core in that, once they are configured, they complete
the work without intervention.
For example, the PIC MCU has an integrated
analog-to-digital converter (ADC) able to run in sleep
mode. It accomplishes this feat by using its own clock
and dedicated logic called threshold detect. Threshold
detect is the ability to sample a signal, as from a
temperature sensor, and wake the CPU only when a
specific target is reached. Features like this one can cut
ADC current in half.

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 15

Microchip_EE_IoT_Vs3.indd 15 9/11/15 1:44 PM

 Internet of Things

The circuit protection

[Link]

connection for wearables

and the IoT
JAMES COLBY
Littelfuse

Circuit protection technologies and board layout strategies

help promote safety, reliability and connectivity.

T
here’s one down-side to wearable technology that is unlikely to show
up in headlines about the IoT: Human bodies generate static electricity
as they move. That static electricity can potentially harm the sensitive
electronics that power IoT applications.
To understand the problem, consider the human-body model (HBM), a
model used for characterizing the susceptibility of integrated circuits to damage
from electrostatic discharge (ESD). The most widely used HBM definition is
the test model defined in the military standard MIL-STD-883, Method 3015.8,
Electrostatic Discharge Sensitivity Classification.
I/O I/O I/O I/O A similar international HBM standard is JEDEC
JS-001. In both JS-001-2012 and MIL-STD-
883H, the charged human body is modeled by
a 100-pF capacitor and a 1.5-kΩ discharging
resistor. During testing, the capacitor is fully
charged in a range between 250 V and 8 kV,
then discharged through the 1.5-kΩ resistor in
series to the device under test.
Because wearables are designed to be
worn next to the skin, they are constantly
bombarded by static electricity generated by
close interaction with the user. Without proper
protection, the device’s sensor circuits, battery-
charging interfaces, buttons or data I/Os could
be damaged by ESD levels similar to those
Unidirectional Back-to-back (bidirectional) generated in the HBM tests. If the wearable
diode configuration diode configuration device fails, the functions and reliability of the
overall network can degrade.
Advanced circuit protection technologies and board layout strategies
TVS diodes come in unidirectional or bidirectional (back-to-back)
can safeguard wearable devices and their users. Applying these
configurations. Unidirectional diodes are typically used for dc
circuits as well as digital circuits. Bidirectional diodes are used
recommendations early in the design process will help circuit designers
in ac circuits or any that may include a signal with a negative improve the performance, safety and reliability of their wearable technology
component exceeding -0.7 V. designs and help build a more reliable IoT.

16 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

Littlefuse_EE_IoT_Vs3.indd 16 9/14/15 10:32 AM

 NOW
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Recom_EE_ad.indd 17 9/25/15 4:17 PM

 CIRCUIT PROTECTION CONNECTION
Internet of Things

Despite their small outline, today’s TVS diode devices

[Link]

perform well without compromising ESD protection.

BIG ESD PROTECTION, SMALL PACKAGE application designers ensure their equipment
One problem with designing protection for meets at least Level 4 of the IEC 61000-4-2 test
wearable circuits is that wearable electronics standard (8 kV contact, 15 kV air discharge). In
are small and getting smaller. In the past, it took many portable devices and wearables, the
large diode structures in large packages (for contact discharge design level is being raised to
example, 0603 [with a footprint of about 1.6 × 15 or 20 kV, with some companies setting it as
0.81 mm] and 0402 [about 1.0 × 0.8601-mm high as 30 kV. Compact ESD devices are robust
footprint]) to protect against ESD and realize low enough to meet these demanding conditions.
clamping voltages. But there have been steady Use of modern ESD technologies can save a
improvements in wafer fabrication processes lot of circuit board space. For example, the most
and back-end assemblies that now make it common discrete form factor for TVS diodes is
possible to get serious ESD protection in a small the SOD882 package, which has an outline of
form factor. For example, consider the general- 1.0 × 0.6 mm. Moving to a device having a 0201
purpose 01005 transient voltage suppression form factor (0.6 × 0.3 mm) takes up only 30% of
(TVS) diode from Littelfuse. It sits in a package the board area. Furthermore, a device having
having an outline measuring 0.45 × 0.24 mm a 01005 outline (0.4 × 0.2 mm) brings an 85%
and can withstand 30 kV contact discharge (IEC space savings compared to the SOD882 package.
61000-4-2). It also has a dynamic resistance Despite their small outline, today’s
value of less than 1 Ω. TVS diode devices perform well without
To see why robust ESD protection is compromising ESD protection. In fact, discrete
important, again consider the HBM. It specifies semiconductors with a small form factor can have
test levels beginning at 250 V, but most the same level of ESD protection (30 kV contact

One example of TVS diodes small enough for use in

wearables: the Littelfuse SP3022 Series. These are 0.35-pF,
20-kV bidirectional (back-to-back) discrete diodes able
to absorb repetitive ESD strikes over the maximum level
specified in the IEC61000-4-2 international standard. The
back-to-back configuration provides symmetrical ESD
protection for data lines in the pretense of ac signals. Their
0.35-pF loading capacitance makes them practical for
protecting high-speed data lines. The device comes in a 0402
footprint and a 0201 flip chip.

18 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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Acopian_EE_ad.indd 19 9/10/15 8:52 AM
 Internet of Things
[Link]

discharge) and clamping performance (dynamic resistance < 1 Ω) as their larger

counterparts (for example, SOD323 and SOD123). However, the small size of
the component may present manufacturing challenges. At 0.4 × 0.2 mm, the
01005 package will need well-designed board treatments, such as solder pads
and thick stencils, to ensure the component does not slide or “tombstone”
during the reflow solder process.

SELECTION AND CONFIGURATION

A few key points about the selection and configuration of TVS diode
technologies will help design engineers optimize their wearable designs.
Know when to choose unidirectional versus bidirectional diodes. TVS
diodes come in unidirectional or bidirectional (back-to-back) configurations.
Unidirectional diodes are typically used for dc circuits, including pushbuttons
and switches, as well as digital circuits (low-voltage differential signaling).
Bidirectional diodes are used in ac circuits, which may include any signal
with a negative component greater than -0.7 V. These circuits include audio,
analog video, legacy data ports and RF interfaces.
Whenever possible, design engineers should choose unidirectional
diode configurations because they perform better during negative-voltage
ESD events. During these discharges, the clamping voltage will be based
on the forward bias voltage of the diode, which is typically less than 1.0 V. In
contrast, a bidirectional diode configuration provides a clamping voltage
during a negative strike that is based on the reverse breakdown voltage,
which is higher than the forward bias of the unidirectional diode. Thus, the
unidirectional configuration can dramatically reduce the stress on the system
during negative strikes.
Position diodes judiciously. Most
wearable designs do not need TVS diodes
on the PCB at each integrated circuit pin.
Instead, the designer should determine
which pins have exposure to the outside
of the application where user-generated
ESD events are likely. If the user can touch
a communication/control line, it could
become a path for ESD to enter the
integrated circuit. Typical circuits prone to
compromise this way include USB, audio,
button/switch control and other signal
lines. Adding these discrete protection
devices will take up board space, so it
is important to get devices that fit in
small 0201 or 01005 outlines. For some
wearable applications, space-saving multi-
channel arrays are available. Regardless of
package style, the ESD suppressor should
sit as close as possible to the ESD source.
For example, protection for a USB port
should sit close to the USB connector.
Keep traces short. Trace routing
Multi-diode arrays are increasingly housed in super-small packages. An example is the
Littelfuse five-channel, bidirectional (back-to-back) SP1012 Series TVS diode array. It
is important in the design of TVS diode
houses five ESD diodes in a 0402-size flip-chip package that normally holds just one. Its protection for integrated circuit pins.
dynamic resistance is a low 0.48 Ω, and it permits a back-to-back 6-V standoff. Unlike lightning transients, ESD does

20 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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 CIRCUIT PROTECTION CONNECTION

not unleash a large amount of current for long WHEN EVALUATING ESD PROTECTION DEVICES, CONSIDER
durations. To handle ESD, it is important to move THE FOLLOWING PARAMETERS:
the charge from the protected circuit to the ESD 1. Dynamic resistance: This value is a measure of how
reference as quickly as possible. well the diode will clamp and divert the ESD transient to
The length of the trace—from the signal ground. It helps determine how low the resistance of the
line to the ESD component and from the ESD diode will be after it switches on. The lower the dynamic
component to ground—is the overriding factor, resistance, the better.
not the width of the trace to ground. The trace
length should be as short as possible to limit 2. IEC 61000-4-2 rating: The TVS diode supplier determines
parasitic inductance. This inductance will result in this value by increasing the ESD voltage until the diode
inductive overshoot, which is a brief voltage spike fails. The failure point characterizes the robustness of the
that can reach hundreds of volts if the stub trace diode. For this parameter, the higher the value, the better.
is long enough. Recent package developments A growing number of Littelfuse TVS diodes can reach as
include µDFN outlines that fit directly over the high as 20 and 30 kV contact discharge, which far exceeds
data lanes to eliminate the need for stub traces. the highest level of the IEC 61000-4-2 (Level 4 = 8 kV
Understand HBM, Machine Model (MM) contact discharge).
and Charged Device Model (CDM) definitions.
In addition to HBM, MM and CDM are test As the wearable market continues to grow, so too does the need for
models for characterizing how well ICs running circuit protection. In fact, it is more important than ever to consider
the portable device or wearable withstand ESD. ESD protection and proper board layout practices early in the design
Many semiconductor makers consider MM to process. Circuit protection devices, such as TVS diodes, can help
be obsolete. It tends to track HBM in terms of protect the sensitive integrated circuitry inside wearable devices to
robustness and in failure modes produced, though maintain the value proposition of the IoT ecosystem.
some producers still employ it. CDM is another
alternative to the HBM. Instead of simulating the REFERENCES
interaction between a human and an IC, the CDM
simulates an IC sliding down a track or tube, then Littelfuse
touching a grounded surface. Devices classified [Link]
according to CDM are exposed to a charge at a
given voltage level, then tested for survival. If the TVS diodes now come in small packages compatible with the cramped quarters
device still functions, it is tested at the next level that typically define space available for electronics in wearable devices.
and so on, until failure. CDM is standardized by
JEDEC in JESD22-C101E.
Chips that include the processor, memory
and ASIC would all be characterized with
one or more of these models. Semiconductor
suppliers use the models to ensure the
robustness of the circuits during manufacturing.
The current trend is for suppliers to reduce the
1 mm
voltage test levels because doing so saves die
space and because most suppliers adhere to 1 mm
excellent in-house ESD policies.
Strict ESD policies benefit the supplier
by allowing for lower on-chip ESD protection,
but circuit designers end up with a chip that is
sensitive to application-level ESD and which
must be prevented from failing due to field-level
or user-induced ESD. Designers must select
a protective device able to protect against
intensifying electrical stresses while clamping
voltages low enough to protect the highly
sensitive integrated circuitry.

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 21

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 Internet of Things

The IoT and

[Link]

connected highways
MATT VAN DAM
Laird Telematics &
M2M Business Unit

C
Dedicated short-range ars are getting more “intelligent” technology every year. Soon,
that technology will let vehicles communicate interactively and
communication techniques share critical information. One result: fewer fender-benders.
When the traffic in front of you slows dramatically, the vehicles ahead will
could usher in connected signal to yours and alert you to the dramatic change in speed.
But this is only the beginning. Your vehicle may soon alert you to
approaching fire trucks, traffic congestion or even potholes. Through
cars and safer driving. smartphones, IoT-connected vehicles may communicate maintenance
issues like tire pressure, fuel level or the need for new antifreeze, before
these become serious problems.
Vehicles in the IoT won’t just connect to other vehicles. Traffic lights,
cross walks and even the road itself could provide real-time information
to make your trip safer and more efficient. This kind of connectivity also
enables Internet browsing; passengers can start shopping before they hit
the store or entertain themselves during a longer ride.
Automotive manufacturers and technology companies are now testing
this type of connectivity. In fact, the noted industry analyst firm Gartner is
predicting more than a quarter-billion “connected cars”—about one in five
vehicles worldwide—will be on the road by 2020. And the cellular phone
company Verizon shows an 83% growth year-over-year for the IoT market
in transportation and distribution.

A CRITICAL ELECTION CYCLE

In about 18 months, the U.S. will have a new president. He or she will
have an opportunity to help convert the information superhighway into
a real American connected superhighway, where cars, trucks, pavement,
infrastructure and related traffic systems will talk with each other to
enhance auto safety and efficiency.
That’s because the next president will likely appoint a new chair
and five commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission
when their five-year terms expire in 2017 and 2018. Ditto for the U.S.
Secretary of Transportation, a presidential appointee and member
of the president’s cabinet, who oversees the Federal Highway
Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Together with the president and Congress, they’ll play a crucial role in
shaping the future of America’s “smart” highway system. One challenge

22 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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Allegro Infotainment Design World June [Link]:layout 1 09/04/2015 17:22 Page 1

Power IC Solutions for Today’s

Changing Automotive Environment
DC-DC Regulators LED Backlight LCD Bias PMICs USB Power

Allegro Power ICs in Automotive Electronics

Power Management Solutions for Infotainment
Allegro MicroSystems offers a comprehensive portfolio of automotive-grade products which provide necessary power rails for LCD panels, bias power, LED
backlights, MCUs, MPUs, GPUs, memory and interface power for infotainment systems.
Allegro’s solutions are extremely robust, handling wide ambient temperature ranges and input/output operating conditions. Design focus is applied to fault
mode survival and recovery. It produces industry-leading packaging for enhanced thermal performance.
Allegro’s strong presence with automotive-qualified design, fabrication, assembly, and test locations adds to the high degree of reliability and performance
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Allegro MicroSystems’ manufacturing sites are certified to ISO/TS16949:2009

Applications include: Features/Benefits:

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and displays • Wide VIN operation AM band
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• Automotive system,
• USB power • Seamless idle-stop-start • Overtemperature protection
memory and I/O power
operation • Over voltage protection
• Heads Up Display (HUD)
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Allegro_EE_ad.indd 23 9/9/15 4:36 PM

 Internet of Things
[Link]

they’ll face is the fact that network-connected cars and highways will operate in
complex radio frequency (RF) environments. Robust end-to-end infrastructure
that enables immediate processing of life-critical, actionable data and greater
data security will be a necessity.
This infrastructure will also require sophisticated antenna technology,
high-performance radios, robust software, bandwidth and excellent coverage,
ensuring vehicles stay connected with no blips or outages.
One network technology that can provide this kind of performance and
coverage is called dedicated short range communication (DSRC). DSRC is
based on the IEEE 802.11 standards used for WiFi, but it’s specifically focused
on meeting the requirements for highway safety. (Its physical layer is defined
by the IEEE standard 802.11p, an extension to 802.11 wireless LAN medium
access layer [MAC] and physical layer [PHY] specification.) It’s a good candidate
for the highway environment because it enables direct communication with
Vehicles in the IoT won’t just connect
other systems on the road—vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure
to other vehicles. Traffic lights, cross
walks and even the road itself could (V2I), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X)—thus requiring no cellular networks.
provide real-time information to make It is useful to review some of the technical aspects of these
trips safer and more efficient. communication systems. DSRC uses 75 MHz of spectrum in the 5.9-GHz

24 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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 CONNECTED HIGHWAYS

band that the FCC allocated for intelligent exchange ten times per second, vehicles
transportation systems. DSRC messages will be able to calculate a hazard risk within
and messaging schemes are defined about 300 m and alert the driver or even
in the SAE J2735 standard. This SAE execute collision-avoidance actions. Drivers
Standard specifies a message set and will be able to see, hear and even feel the
its data frames and data elements. The hazard signals through vibration of the seat.
most fundamental message is the basic DSRC also includes complex circuitry
safety message (BSM). All vehicles send and software enabling it to create a
it periodically. It contains parameters unique identity for each vehicle to protect
defining a vehicle’s dynamic state, which
are critical for safety applications, such as
speed, heading and location. Street lights could adjust their
DSRC operates over the Wireless
Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) brightness automatically for
communication system. This standard is
an amended version of the IEEE 802.11 optimal lighting on a cloudy
standard (the common WiFi standard). The
Federal Communications Commission afternoon or during a rain storm.
(FCC) allocated a frequency band for DSRC
from 5.85 to 5.925 GHz. DSRC divides this the operator’s privacy and the system’s
range into seven 10-MHz channels and data security. In addition, DSRC schemes
a 5-MHz guard band. It uses orthogonal will build in security measures as defined
frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) by a family of standards called IEEE
with four pilot and 48 data sub-carriers for 1609. They also provide for a resource
each channel. manager that manages communication
Of the seven channels, one is a between remote applications and vehicles
control channel (CCH) used for safety and communications through multiple
applications. The other six channels, channels. This standard also allows for
called service channels (SCHs), will be both vehicular onboard units (OBU) and
used for infotainment or commercial roadside units (RSU). RSUs act like wireless
applications to get the cost of this LAN access points and can provide
technology down. Vehicles will communications with infrastructure. Finally,
synchronize the switching between the a third type of communicating node
CCH and one or more of the SCHs in called a Public Safety OBU (PSOBU) is a
a way that prevents the loss of safety- vehicle able to provide services normally
related messages. A synchronization coming from an RSU. PSOBUs are mainly
interval (SI) contains a CCH interval (CCI), police cars, fire trucks and ambulances in
followed by a SCH interval. emergency situations.
V2V is a communication scheme In outlying or rural areas, DSRC-
designed to let automobiles talk to equipped vehicles also would act as their
each other. The systems also use the own hotspots, relaying signals to each other,
5.9-GHz band. V2V is also known as so there would be no dead-zones as long as
VANET (Vehicular ad hoc network) and is vehicles are on the road.
currently in active development by major Unlike WiFi, DSRC is designed to
automakers. It is a variation of MANET work with moving vehicles and to adjust
(Mobile ad hoc network), a continuously for environmental challenges related
self-configuring, infrastructure-less to RF signal reflection, temperature
network of mobile devices where the variations, and high vibration. The
nodes are vehicular. technology is currently being tested
In V2V, vehicles exchange information and developed with the U.S. Dept. of
about location, speed, acceleration and Transportation’s Test Bed Program on
braking. Because V2V allows this data roads in Michigan and other states.

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 25

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 CONNECTED HIGHWAYS
Internet of Things

DSRC in action
[Link]

DSRC is based on the IEEE 802.11 standards used for WiFi.

Its physical layer is defined by the IEEE standard 802.11p,
an extension to 802.11 wireless LAN medium access layer
(MAC) and physical layer (PHY) specification. It enables direct
communication with other systems on the road—vehicle-to-
vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-
everything (V2X)—thus requiring no cellular networks.

IoT ADVANTAGES them. And circling for a parking spot may eventually be
With the resources of the IoT, the environment around a thing of the past. Parking lots could provide near real-
the road can also play a role in managing the safety of time data about the number of open parking spaces and
motorists. DSRC antennas and devices can provide real- directions to their location.
time data, letting vehicles detect motorcycles, cyclists A standardized and regulated IoT environment,
and even pedestrians blocked from the driver’s view. however, will only come after a great deal of
The same technology could let traffic command centers innovation and collaboration among the automotive
monitor and re-route traffic around potential dangers. and networking industries. It also will require the
Street lights could adjust their brightness automatically cooperation and commitment of the new FCC and
for optimal lighting on a cloudy afternoon or during a USDOT appointees, and the support of the next
rain storm. And the process of merging into traffic from U.S. President.
a blind turn becomes less of a guessing game when the
connected parking garage alerts you to approaching
traffic around the corner. REFERENCES
There are benefits besides safety. With the IoT
in place, in-vehicle navigation data would be more Laird Tech, The Connected Highway
accurate with near real-time updates. Connected [Link]/solutions/white-papers/connected-highway
vehicles could share fuel efficiency data so drivers could
get more miles per gallon by selecting the right routes.
A connected highway could also keep in touch with
local governments. Maintenance crews could be alerted
to potholes or icy patches when a connected car detects

26 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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 Internet of Things
Industrial power

[Link]
for the Internet of Things
Many devices on the Industrial IoT will need rugged SOL JACOBS
Tadiran Batteries
primary and rechargeable lithium batteries to provide

reliable, long-term power.

N
o question there will be a lot
of remote wireless devices
on the IoT. Many of them will
be powered either by primary lithium
batteries or energy harvesting devices
combined with rechargeable batteries
or supercapacitors. Here are a few ideas
about battery chemistries that make
sense for power scenarios likely to arise in
industrial IoT applications.
A wireless device intended for long-
term deployment and drawing a low
average daily current could be a candidate
for primary bobbin-type lithium thionyl
chloride (LiSOCL2) batteries. LiSOCL2
chemistry is the predominant choice for
remote wireless applications because
of its exceptionally high energy density
(1,420 Wh/l volumetric densities are widely
available, compared to about 100 Wh/l for
lead acid), high capacity, wide temperature
range, and low annual self-discharge rate.
Certain bobbin-type LiSOCL2
batteries can deliver a self-discharge rate
of less than 1% per year; batteries can
operate for up to 40 years in situations
where the annual self-discharge of In the CattleWatch system, smart collars
the battery exceeds the annual power placed on cattle all communicate with
consumption of the device. The smart hub collars placed on a select few of the
herd. The hub collars communicate with
grid is a prime example of where
Iridium satellites serving as a link to the
bobbin-type LiSOCL2 batteries have cloud. All the devices carry industrial
been deployed in an industrial IoT grade lithium batteries for power.
environment. For nearly 30 years these Ranchers typically get aggregated data on
batteries have powered endpoint their smartphones.

terminals of metering devices that

communicate to central databases.
Power meters are increasingly becoming
smart meters. They now interface with

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 27

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 Internet of Things
[Link]

the IoT to provide real-time information and alerts An energy harvesting device generally contains five
about consumption patterns. To conserve energy, these basic components: sensor, transducer, energy processor,
wireless devices operate mainly in a dormant state, microcontroller and optional radio link. The sensor detects
drawing little or no energy. They periodically take data, and measures environmental parameters such as motion,
but only awaken if they note certain data parameters. proximity, temperature, humidity, pressure, light, strain
Careful control of energy consumption lets these vibration and pH. The transducer and energy processor
wireless devices operate maintenance-free for decades. work in tandem to convert, collect and store the electrical
The main limitation of standard LiSOCL2 chemistry is energy in either a rechargeable lithium battery or a
high passivation arising from a low-rate design. In LiSOCL2 supercapacitor. The microcontroller collects and processes
cells, thionyl chloride is a liquid. Metal lithium touches the the data. The radio link communicates with a host receiver
thionyl chloride and will slowly oxidize out lithium chloride. or data collection point. The energy harvested is often
The lithium chloride layer produced on the surface of the relatively small, especially for devices that draw only a few
metal lithium tends to prevent lithium from reacting with microamps of current daily.
thionyl chloride. This phenomenon is passivation. The Energy harvesting devices are typically paired with
passivation takes place slowly, but the speed of passivation rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that store
is higher at higher temperatures and is more pronounced harvested energy. Consumer grade Li-ion cells are
over longer time periods. reasonably inexpensive and widely available, but have a
The passivation prohibits these cells from delivering life expectancy of less than five years and 500 recharge
high current pulses. This issue can be addressed by cycles. They also only work over a moderate temperature
combining a standard LiSOCL2 cell with a patented range of -10 to 60° C, so they don’t work well for long-term
hybrid layer capacitor (HLC). The standard LiSOCL2 cell deployment in extreme environments.
delivers low background current to power the device in Industrial grade Li-ion batteries are a better choice
its standby mode, while the HLC stores and delivers the if the wireless device is intended for use in remote,
high pulses required when the device is in its active mode inaccessible locations. Industrial Li-ion cells can operate
of data interrogation and transmission. for up to 20 years and handle 5,000 full recharge cycles.
An alternative involves the use of supercapacitors, also They also work over a temperature range of -40 to 85° C
known as ultracapacitors or electric double layer capacitors and can deliver high current pulses (5 A for an AA-size
(EDLCs), which store energy in an electrostatic field rather cell). These industrial grade Li-ion cells also feature glass-
than in a chemical state. Supercapacitors are primarily to-metal hermetic seals, whereas consumer rechargeable
used to provide memory back-up power for mobile batteries use crimped seals more prone to leak.
phones, laptops and digital cameras. This technology As a general rule, industrial grade Li-ion batteries
has certain inherent drawbacks, including short-duration make sense where the expense of battery replacement
power, linear discharge characteristics that do not allow far exceeds the cost of the battery itself. This can be
for use of all the available energy, low capacity, low energy confirmed by calculating the total lifetime cost of the
density, high self-discharge (up to 60% per year), and the industrial grade Li-ion battery versus a consumer grade
need for cell balancing when supercapacitors link in series. Li-ion battery.
Supercapacitors also have crimped seals that may leak and For an example application, consider wireless
have not been proven to deliver long life. solar-powered parking meters. Made by the IPS Group,
they incorporate state-of-the-art features that include
CONSUMER GRADE VERSUS INDUSTRIAL GRADE multiple payment system options, access to real-time
Some industrial IoT applications may be well suited data, integration to vehicle detection sensors, user
for energy harvesting. Energy harvesting (also called guidance and enforcement modules, and connections to a
energy scavenging) refers to the process of deriving comprehensive web-based management system.
energy from external sources (such as solar power, PV panels in the meter gather solar energy, which
thermal energy, wind energy, salinity gradients and then gets stored in an industrial grade rechargeable
kinetic energy). Harvested energy is usually used to Li-ion battery. The rechargeable battery can deliver
power wireless autonomous devices. The decision the high pulses required to initiate two-way wireless
to use an energy harvesting device depends on communications.
factors that include the reliability of the device and Another example of an industrial IoT application is
its energy source; the expected operating life of the CattleWatch, which places solar-powered hub collars
device; environmental requirements; size and weight and solar-powered collar units on cattle. All collars
considerations; and total cost of ownership. communicate with the hub collars through a wireless

28 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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 INDUSTRIAL POWER

mesh network. Hub collars communicate significantly lighter and smaller, and thus
to the cloud through Iridium satellites. more comfortable for the animals to wear.
Ranchers get real-time updates on daily Every application is special and
animal behavior, including herd location, specific requirements dictate the best
walking time, grazing time, resting time, power supply. When long-term reliability
water consumption, in-heat condition and is essential, an industrial grade battery
other health events. Ranchers also receive generally makes more economic sense
instant notification if potential threats than a consumer gradeone.
arise from predatory animals or poachers.
The M5 single-space parking meter
developed by the IPS Group uses an Energy harvested by PV panels REFERENCES
industrial grade rechargeable Li-ion in CattleWatch units gets stored in
battery to store energy harvested by industrial grade Li-ion rechargeable Tadiran Batteries
built-in solar cells. The meter mechanism [Link]
batteries. The batteries were chosen
is wirelessly networked to a management
over supercapacitors because they were
system in the cloud.

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 29

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 Internet of Things

Real-time operating
[Link]

systems for wearable

devices in the IoT
WARREN KURISU
Mentor Graphics

Operating systems and the way they handle tasks can

make or break applications such as activity trackers and

fashion electronics.

T
he wearables and provide a deterministic behavior that helps
industry is still in keep code compact. But it must also scale down to a
its early stages minimal size in both code and data requirements to
of development. The survive at the lowest end of the device spectrum. This
financial firm Morgan same RTOS must also be able to scale up to the most
Stanley estimates that full-featured range of services.
the wearables market Wearables, for the most part, are extremely small.
could become a $1.6 They often use an 8-bit MCU clocked at less than
trillion business in the 25 MHz, with only 8 K of memory. Low-power ARM-
next few years. But a lot based processors are good candidates for wearable
of software work will have devices because of their small form factor and minimal
to go into realizing these power requirements. Recent products taking the ARM
trends. A full-featured, approach include the Pebble watch and the Omate
real-time operating system Racer Smartwatch.
(RTOS) can help get smart Omate is a hardware and software design
wearable products up and company. Its Racer Smartwatch is a stand-alone telecom
running quickly. mobile device that works with numerous iOS and
The physical form Android applications using Bluetooth connectivity to a
factor of most wearable smartphone. Users can send and receive incoming calls,
devices leaves little room social media updates, messages and reminders, among
for the electronics. A other notifications.
wearable device can pack an The Racer Smartwatch carries an ARM7 MediaTek
amazing array of peripherals Aster SoC, the industry’s smallest wearable SoC. The
for its size, but memory capacity MediaTek chipset relies on the Nucleus RTOS from
Breakthroughs in
is the one area where geometry Mentor Graphics for power management and wireless
optimizing power efficiency let can’t be out-maneuvered. An programming. Nucleus can scale voltage and frequency
the Omate Smartwatch operate RTOS can help minimize memory for reduced power consumption of a single or multiple
up to five days (standby mode) demands in wearables. The RTOS operating system platform, maximizing cycles-per-watt to
on a single battery charge.
itself can have a small footprint conserve power.

30 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

Mentor_EE_IoT_Vs3.indd 30 9/14/15 9:20 AM

 Industry average

（Vin=24V,Vout=24V,Iout=0.833A）

support@[Link]
[Link]
TEL: 978-567-9610

Mornsun_EE_ad.indd 31 9/14/15 9:22 AM

 Internet of Things
[Link]

With built-in power management Bluetooth/BLE and WiFi, up to huge mobile cellular networks. This is an area
and connectivity capabilities, the where technology, protocols and options change rapidly. Similarly, solutions
RTOS helps with power-sensitive currently deemed to be too expensive today can easily become the economical
wireless communications applications. standard tomorrow.
Nucleus also applies a “system Communication technologies can change over the lifetime of a
power state” for each of the wearable device, or even during the development cycle. The operating
peripherals in the SoC. This lets system environment can help handle these changes to minimize the impact
the SoC independently control the on applications.
power to different blocks, modules RTOSs have been around for years, and countless embedded devices
or peripherals, allowing various have employed them. The typical RTOS incorporates basic capabilities such as
applications to run simultaneously. a kernel, scheduler, file system, connectivity and graphics support. An RTOS for
More complex designs often wearable devices also has stringent requirements in three other critical areas:
include feature-rich SoCs clocked scalability, space partitioning and comprehensive power management.
in the hundreds of megahertz and One advantage of an RTOS environment is the ability to treat the
megabytes of memory. These hybrid RTOS application programming interface (API) as the target machine. This
systems may include special-purpose lets software personnel develop applications to that specification. Beneath
processors and multiple application the RTOS, middleware and device drivers handle the hardware directly.
and/or microcontroller cores. The So an application can adapt to the particular details of the a specific
more complex SoCs often require product version by working with the API. This can happen through dynamic
a graphical user interface (GUI) and evaluation of the features at runtime, or through selective build options
wireless connectivity to the Internet or during compilation and linking.
cloud. It takes a full-featured RTOS to The Nucleus RTOS lets applications work with a wide variety of
power these more complex designs. peripheral combinations. It also lets developers transport applications
The compelling difference and use them in different processor variations, families, and architectures.
between wearables today and Moreover, it lets a reduced feature version of an application work on a
devices from a few years ago is single-chip MCU and behave much the same way as a full-featured version
the greater availability of wireless on a high-performance MPU platform.
connectivity options. Wireless
connectivity spans the range SPACE DOMAIN PARTITIONING
from Near Field Communication, Space domain partitioning created through the use of light-weight processes
can make systems more reliable and prevent one subsystem from bringing
The Nucleus real-time operating system employs a light-weight down another. The idea is to let limited memory resources be re-used by
approach to a process model. The MPU in the ARM Cortex-M3/ loading and unloading memory modules based on the application needs.
M4-based SoCs on which it runs can be used for spatial domain
These features are normally found only in high-end or general-purpose OSs
partitioning without the need (or overhead) to virtualize memory.
Processes can load directly from ROM or Flash into memory.
that use cores containing memory management units (MMUs) for partitioning
And with pre-linked embedding, processes can execute in situ in and virtualizing memory. The Nucleus RTOS brings these functions to Cortex M
Flash, a feature commonly necessary in MCUs with limited RAM. devices that do not incorporate an MMU. In other words, it can handle space

Static Kerner-mode Kerner-mode Kerner-mode

User-mode
User-mode User-mode
Process 1
Application Process 1 Process 2 Process m
(e.g. Qt)
Process 2 Process n

Nucleus OS

Hardware Platform

32 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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 REAL-TIME OS

A view of the Nucleus RTOS functional

makeup shows the Device Manager at the
center of a power management framework.
The Device Manager coordinates the
transition of all devices during a change to a
low-power state.

domain partitioning without the overhead

of virtualizing memory. Processes can
load from a file system to memory or run
directly in RAM or Flash (XIP).
RTOSs that are equipped to handle
spatial partitioning can configure the
MPU at run time to establish memory
regions in both kernel and user space.
APIs can be used to load processes
at runtime or based on the use-case
during execution.
Battery life is obviously critical for
wearables. Modern processors contain
numerous power saving capabilities.
Examples include idle modes, sleep
modes, dynamic voltage frequency
scaling (DVFS) and hibernation modes.
If the underlying operating system does
not have a framework to take advantage Obviously, the management of all these process to ensure power consumption
of the low-power features in the silicon, details takes a significant coding effort in the remains at targeted levels.
the developers must generate the code absence of an RTOS with an API for power Finally, wireless connectivity is
to do so. The amount of code required management. But with an API available, a important for any IoT application. RTOSs,
creates more complexity and can add to frequency shift can happen with a single such as Nucleus, include facilities for
code bloat. API call. All in all, a power management handling wireless standards such as WiFi,
Power saving features are built into framework provides a way for API calls to Bluetooth/BLE, and 802.15.4. Additionally,
the silicon. However, their use becomes control all system devices. adaptation layers like 6LoWPAN (IPv6
complicated in the absence of an The power management framework over Low power Wireless Personal Area
operating system designed to handle approaches the conservation of power Networks)provide routeable addressing
them. For instance, consider the process use from four directions: 1) system states to IoT devices based on IPv6, the most
of implementing a simple power-saving are used to control peripheral power; 2) recent version of the Internet protocol. In
feature such as lowering the frequency. dynamic voltage scaling—basically, reducing short, RTOSs will need to support numerous
Before the processor can shift frequency, the operating voltage—focuses on the wireless schemes and IoT protocols, as well
software must know the state of each entire system; 3) idle power management as methods of integrating wireless devices
peripheral device. Additionally, it must prevents expending energy without a into the cloud.
know if each peripheral device can specific goal; and 4) hibernate/sleep modes
operate at the new lower frequency— that let the system go off-line during long REFERENCES
some may not. Software must also know periods of inactivity.
how long each active device can be taken A power management framework Mentor Graphics, Nucleus RTOS
offline to effectuate the frequency shift lets software developers write code to [Link]/embedded-software/nucleus/
without losing any data. Some devices can conserve power without creating code
only go offline for a short period, so they bloat or increasing the footprint. A power Wikipedia page for real-time operating systems
must be taken offline last and brought management framework also lets software [Link]/wiki/Real-time_operating_system
back online first. And after the frequency developers plan for power specifications
shift, devices like the UART will need their early in the design cycle. The resulting code Wikipedia page for Nucleus RTOS,
can be tested throughout the development [Link]/wiki/Nucleus_RTOS
baud rate reset.

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 33

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 Internet of Things

SoMs speed the move

[Link]

to the Industrial
Internet of Things
ERIC MYERS
National Instruments

Systems-on-modules and platform approaches can

help keep IIoT efforts from getting lost in the weeds of

interfacing and hardware development.

E
ngineers who design equipment for the Industrial
Internet of Things (IIoT) will likely face a number
of technical challenges. One of the most
significant is in developing systems that are adaptable and
that can scale with the IIoT.
To get a feel for the problem, consider the aircraft maker
Airbus and its experiences developing a Factory of the
Future. This is a long-term research and technology project
that employs emerging computing and communications
technologies to build aircraft faster, more flexibly and with
higher quality. Airbus plans to develop many systems— An example of a system on module (SoM) device.
such as smart tools, inspection devices and robotics—that This one, from National Instruments, employs a real-
will connect and work in harmony to improve the overall time version of Linux and a programmable SoC.
manufacturing process.
Like most traditional design
firms, Airbus began by designing
its concepts from the ground up. It
eventually recognized that connecting
all of these systems in a smart
way is not trivial due to the many
communication mechanisms and
protocols involved in an IIoT network.
As Airbus learned, the task of
building a complete system from the
ground up takes a substantial amount
of time. During the initial design,
teams spend most of their time making

34 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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 SOMs SPEED THE MOVE

components work together. Only a small amount core hardware components along with a software
of time is spent developing the special functions of suite to support the board. Airbus estimates that
individual nodes. switching to this approach cut its development effort
Another challenge lies in scaling these systems by a factor of ten.
to grow with the expanding IIoT. When such a system Among the entities developed for the Airbus
is first deployed, it generally works well. But nodes in Factory of the Future are smart tools. A given
the network must be able to change and adapt and airplane subassembly has about 400,000 fastening
new devices are constantly added. It’s not unusual points that must be tightened. Human assemblers
for new devices or functions to force a redesign of handle the task using over 1,100 different tightening
the network from the ground up. For example, were tools. The operator must follow a list of steps
Airbus to add a new robotic system on its factory floor, and verify the proper torque law settings for each
the move would force a redesign of other systems to
support the proprietary protocol involved.
It’s also not uncommon to see teams developing
It’s also not uncommon to see teams developing
systems using multiple off-the-shelf subsystems,
sometimes developing parts themselves, then using
systems using multiple off-the-shelf subsystems,
off-the-shelf devices where appropriate. In machine
control, for example, many systems today add health
sometimes developing parts themselves, then using
monitoring capabilities using off-the-shelf subsystems.
This approach speeds development, but off-the-
off-the-shelf devices where appropriate.
shelf subsystems are typically closed and fixed. Closed
architectures tend to have a limited ability to expand. location. To eliminate possibilities for error, a smart
If they can expand at all, it is generally though one tightening tool uses machine vision to understand
or two expansion ports that use a proprietary design, the tightening task at hand and automatically set
perhaps requiring a license fee from the manufacturer. the torque. The outcome of the task gets recorded
And it may take technicians with specialized tools or in a central database. This lets production managers
training to install any enhancements. The proprietary review procedures and processes during quality
nature of closed designs tends to limit the amount control and certification.
of information they can share over the network. With a platform-based approach and growing
Moreover, data that can’t be communicated through technology though, these teams will be able to
an open standard interface can’t be analyzed by other efficiently develop the IIoT, such as Airbus with the
devices, eliminating one of the benefits of the IIoT. NI SoM.
The way around this difficulty in the IIoT is by
deploying a network of “things” flexible enough to REFERENCES
evolve and adapt. Teams need an evolved approach
that focuses on the innovation within the application Airbus Factory of the Future case history
itself, not on hardware or software. This is known [Link]/cs/app/doc/p/id/cs-16246
as a platform-based approach, one emphasizing
LabVIEW overview
systematic reuse of software and compatible
[Link]/labview
hardware, intended to reduce development risks,
costs and time to market. Systems on Modules
One example of a platform technology that is [Link]/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/212787
becoming widely used is system on module (SoM)
and computer on module (CoM). For hardware
developers, an SoM provides the processing, memory,
peripherals and I/O elements needed in any IIoT
system. For software developers, an SoM comes with
anything from a board support package (BSP) to a
complete software suite fully supporting the hardware
and connectivity to other systems.
In the case of Airbus and its Factory of the
Future, the firm decided to adopt NI SoM, providing

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 35

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 Internet of Things

Big future for cyber-physical

[Link]

manufacturing systems.
BEHRAD BAGHERI JAY LEE
NSF I/UCRC for Intelligent Maintenance Systems (IMS) University of Cincinnati

A
The real value of the couple decades ago, smart is inadequate to cover all the data
appliances only belonged being generated daily. Similarly, the
IoT for manufacturers to sci-fi movies. But rapid analytical approaches in wide use are
advances in technology made it not mature enough to intelligently and
will be in the analytics practical to connect sensors and efficiently process all the generated
physical assets to networks. We have data. This problem has been known as
now progressed to the Internet of the Big Data challenge. To understand
arising from cyber- Things (IoT) where embedded sensors its magnitude, consider the 2014
are in charge of collecting data from annual report on Big Data by EMC
physical models of ever more physical assets. This process and IDC, which found in 2013 that
is generating a massive amount of data. the digital universe generated 4.4
machines and systems. Unfortunately, the technology for zettabytes (1 ZB = 1 billion TB) of
storing such a gigantic amount of data data. In that same year, only 7% of 187

A cyber-physical system is characterized by a physical asset, such as a machine, and its digital twin;
basically a software model that mimics the behavior of the physical asset. In contrast, the IoT in common
parlance is generally limited to the physical assets, not their digital models.

36 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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Tadiran_EE_ad.indd 37 9/9/15 5:01 PM

 Internet of Things
[Link]

billion connectable assets were actually connected. communication protocols. This communication is
Predictions are that by 2020, 15% of 212 billion based on normal internet protocols or dedicated
connectable assets will be hooked up and will protocols such as MTConnect.
generate about 44 ZB of data, a factor of ten But despite the connectivity, the IoT
increase in seven years. paradigm doesn’t include the idea of information
Clearly there are challenges in handling the systems or analytics. On the other hand, CPSs
data generated by the IoT. In recent years, terms and are based on connectivity but run complex
definitions have emerged to help label and organize analytics. Complex inference in a CPS takes
deficiencies and provide a road-map for future place through a centralized analytical hub where
developments. Among those terms, cyber-physical knowledge is excavated from raw data. Based
system (CPS) has gotten a lot of attention. on the knowledge inferred from the data, control
The term cyber-physical system usually refers commands get sent to the physical asset. All in all,
to systems of collaborating computational elements it’s possible to view the IoT as the infrastructure
that control physical entities, generally using that makes CPSs possible.
feedback from sensors they monitor. The similarities
of using networking, internet and sensors in CPSs IN MANUFACTURING
definitions of IoT and CPS might lead one to wonder The impact of IoT and CPS on industry will be
if these two terms are different definitions of the significant. Today most industrial installations that
same concept. But though there are similarities, a use IoT and CPS concepts don’t do much more
CPS is not the same thing as IoT. than embed sensors in manufacturing equipment or
The IoT is based on connections between tag products with RFID tags. The data coming from
physical assets through which data can transfer. these devices undergo comparatively little analysis.
The connections are made possible by the secure This is only the beginning step. The real value in
implementation of computer networks, internet and these systems comes from using an information

The real value in these

systems comes from
using an information
system to analyze
the IoT data, then
using the information
that results to make
informed decisions.

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 CYBER-PHYSICAL MANUFACTURING

2. Conversion: This level converts data to information

using algorithms that are based on the application. For
example, consider raw vibration data from a machine
tool in a production line. The raw data carries no
knowledge about the health or status of the machine.
But health assessment algorithms can extract pertinent
features and use them to get knowledge about the
status of the machine.

3. Cyber: The cyber level receives processed information

from the level below and uses it to create additional
value. This level acts as the hub for information and
performs complex analytics. For example, the cyber
level might run sophisticated fleet-based analytical
methods. These compare similar assets in a fleet
or group (such as specific kinds of manufacturing
machines in a single facility). It might run deep-
learning algorithms to identify patterns in a large
set of fleet data. Recommender systems, special
algorithms that seek to predict the “rating” or
“preference” for an item, might recommend the best
way to use each individual asset.
It might seem as though the cyber and
conversion levels do similar tasks. The major difference
between the two is the scope of input information and
the target of the algorithms. The conversion level is
more focused on individual assets while the cyber level
uses data from the entire system to infer additional
knowledge. It is possible to perform conversion
level analytics locally, at individual sensor nodes,
say. But cyber-level methods take place on a central
computation hub such as the cloud.
Operators and managers will interact with CPSs through a variety of interfaces made
possible by the fact that analytical data gets stored in the cloud in standard formats. 4. Cognition: The cognition level may be able to convert
machine signals to health information and compare this
system to analyze the IoT data, then using the information that results to information with other instances of it. In cognition level,
make informed decisions. the machine itself should take advantage of online
For example, data from embedded sensors in manufacturing monitoring to diagnose its own potential failures and
equipment can be used to predict equipment wear or diagnose become aware of its potential degradation in advance
possible faults. It has been shown that these analytics can help reduce of any obvious signs of trouble. Based on adaptive
maintenance costs by nearly 40%. Performing such analysis on the data learning from historical health evaluations, the system
provided by IoT is the task of CPSs that improve the performance of then can use specific prediction algorithms to foresee a
manufacturing companies. potential failure and estimate the time to reach certain
Data scientists have defined a five-level architecture for the tasks kinds of failures.
involved in CPSs that work in manufacturing. The visualization of the
architecture is pyramid-shaped to represent the way data passing to 5. Configuration: A machine able to track its own health
higher levels gets reduced in size while the value of the information rises. can detect failures early on and send health monitoring
The levels break out this way: information to the operation level. This maintenance
information can serve as feedback to business
1. Connection: In the connection level, the data generated by management systems. Operators and factory managers,
connected machines, tools and products is gathered so it can be in turn, can use it to make informed decisions. At the
pushed up through the next levels. same time, the machine itself can adjust its working

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 39

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 Internet of Things

Component level: This is the most detailed level

[Link]

load or manufacturing schedule to reduce down time

caused by machine malfunctions. The overall goal of of the 5C architecture. There is a virtual twin of the
these measures is to produce a system that is resilient— machine that exists in cyber space at this level. The virtual
able to defend itself from difficulties by changing its twins model the critical components of each machine.
own behaviors and preventing cascading failures that These twins (avatars) work in parallel with the physical
would otherwise disrupt operations. component but with a huge difference: They are not
bounded by time and location.
APPLYING THE 5C STRUCTURE The avatars capture significant changes in the health
The 5C structure can apply to different levels of an status of each component. Once the physical component
industrial concern including components, machines, fleets starts to degrade, the avatars start capturing the lifespan
and the enterprise. Each level uses different analytics to
generate useful information from raw data and generate Data scientists have conceived a five-layer architecture to depict the
way a cyber-physical system is implemented in industrial settings.
useful knowledge about the system. The overall approach
The sense of the pyramid shape is that lower levels collect data that
is that upper levels of the hierarchy use analytical methods is analyzed and condensed at each upper level. So information fed
to aggregate data from lower levels while passing to each higher level is more valuable than information coming into
important high-level information back down hierarchy. the level below.

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 CYBER-PHYSICAL MANUFACTURING

of the next component. Additionally, these virtual twins exist on the cloud. So REFERENCES
they can interact with other component twins that are geographically far away.
Such models log the lifespan of components undergoing various stress levels NSF I/UCRC for Intelligent
Maintenance Systems (IMS),
and which function in different working regimes. This is one of the mechanisms University of Cincinnati
through which the system will gain self-awareness. [Link]
Machine Level: This level incorporates knowledge generated in the
component level combined with machine operation history, system settings and IDC, EMC, The Digital Universe
so forth, to create an avatar for each machine. Virtual twins of similar machines of Opportunities: Rich Data
and Increasing Value of the
are compared to each other as a way of identifying low-performance machines Internet of Things, 2014
regardless of working regime. [Link]/collateral/
Fleet Level: The fact that virtual models are not bounded by time analyst-reports/idc-digital-
and location brings an opportunity to implement methods for modifying [Link]
the production flow in response to changing conditions. For example, it is
Vijayaraghavan A, Sobel W,
possible to optimize the way machines in the fleet handle production work Fox A, Dornfeld D, Warndorf
through use of historical machine performance data and component status P., Improving machine
from component and machine levels. This method can be used to maximize tool interoperability using
the life span of all components while simultaneously keeping production and standardized interface
quality levels at their best points. The overall result is a system that is self- protocols: MT connect, Lab
Manuf Sustain, 2008.
maintaining and self-configuring.
Enterprise Level: The highest level aggregates the outcomes of previous Chen G., Internet of Things
levels to produce a high-level performance report. This level can also incorporate towards Ubiquitous and Mobile
optimization methods based on the needs of the enterprise. For example, certain Computing, Microsoft, 2010
enterprises might find it feasible to modify the production rate at one or more [Link]/
en-us/um/redmond/events/
plants based on the fleet performance while keeping the total production rate asiafacsum2010/presentations/
and costs the same. guihai-chen_oct19.pdf
CPSs store and maintain data in the cloud using standard formats. Use of
standard formats lets developers create interactive web and mobile applications Bughin J, Chui M, Manyika
to present information to the users at different levels of the company. For J., An executive’s guide
to the Internet of Things,
example, a business McKinsey&Company, 2015
This method can be used to maximize executive needs [Link]/Insights/
information about Business_Technology/
the life span of all components while throughput, production An_executives_guide_to_the_
Internet_of_Things?cid=digital-
rate, supply chain
simultaneously keeping production and
eml-alt-mip-mck-oth-1508
management and so forth.
He or she might need to Lee J, Bagheri B, Kao H-A.,
quality levels at their best points. see it on a smartphone A Cyber Physical Systems
Architecture for Industry
during an international
flight. In contrast, an engineer needs to see life-cycle management information 4.0-based Manufacturing
System, Manuf Lett
and production quality estimates through a web interface inside the company. 2015;3:18–23. doi:10.1016/j.
In one case, band-saw machines instrumented with sensors served as a mfglet.2014.12.001.
demonstration of a CPS. The band-saw units were in different geographical
locations. Sensors measured vibration, acoustics and pressure. The CPS also Yang S, Bagheri B, Kao H-A,
collected controller signals about factors such as feed rate and size of the Lee J., A Unified Framework
and Platform for Designing of
material. On-site industrial computers performed preliminary data-to-information Cloud-Based Machine Health
conversion. In the cloud, more complex adaptive use-based health analysis Monitoring and Manufacturing
methods assessed machine performance and predicted wear in different machine Systems, J Manuf Sci
components. Analysis results were available through web and mobile applications. Eng 2015;137:040914.
These results are interesting, but they also reveal that many doi:10.1115/1.4030669.
technologies—such as data storage systems, big data analysis methods,
communication protocols and cyber-security—still need a lot of research,
testing and development before the industrial IoT and CPSs can reach
their potential.

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 41

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 Internet of Things

A case of IoT fatigue?

[Link]

LELAND TESCHLER
Executive Editor

Market studies show consumers are less enthusiastic about connected

products these days. But electronic suppliers are still designing components

and software aimed at quickly implementing the Internet of Things.

G
o to YouTube, type in Internet of things, and mainstream standards. The plurality of standards is a
you’ll find enumerable videos and TEDx talks all problem, say suppliers. “There are no global industry
foreseeing a future where each person will be standards for IoT or connected devices,” said Andrew
surrounded by thousands of everyday “things” connected Caples, Mentor Graphics’ product manger for the
to the Internet. But the prognosticators making these Nucleus real-time operating system. “Fragmentation
claims apparently forgot to check with real consumers makes IoT adoption more challenging. There is a need
about preferences for connected homes and lives. to establish IoT standards that are embraced by specific
Or at least that might be one take-away from vertical markets as well as horizontally across many
recent market studies by Argus Insights, a consumer industries. With established standards, IoT adoption
and enterprise marketing analysis firm in Los Gatos, would accelerate to the benefit of the consumer.”
Calif. Argus says it has seen a significant slowing in Power supply maker CUI says the smart home is a
consumer demand for staples of the IoT that include great example. There are a number of proposed protocols
both wearables in general and fitness bands in available, including Z-Wave and ZigBee. Consumers need
particular. According to John Feland, Argus CEO and to ensure their HVAC, lighting, audio/visual and security
founder, “Consumers expect their wearables to do systems speak the same language. But this equipment
more than simply count steps, just as they expect to do typically comes from multiple manufacturers, so the task of
more than just make phone calls with their handsets. … getting them to talk is challenging.
Fitbit and others in this category will need to add more But indications are these obstacles aren’t stopping
to their offerings to keep consumers engaged and electronics suppliers. Component makers say the quest
coming back for more.” for smaller and cheaper IoT technology is driving several
Similarly, Argus recently found that the home developments in hardware and software. “As more
automation portion of the IoT market is quickly losing things become part of the IoT, we’ll be dealing with
steam. Its data show that as of a few months ago, smaller devices that deliver more intelligence. With
consumer demand for such connected home devices that in mind, we strive to improve power efficiency
as thermostats, lightbulbs, locks, sensors and cameras and latency and design improvements for where the
experienced its first drop below the level of a year ago, data needs to be processed,” said Intel Corp. General
a sign that consumer interest is stagnating. Manager Bridget Karlin. She also said that because of
Suppliers with their eyes on IoT business admit the IoT, “our components and solutions are more policy-
there are difficulties slowing the predictions of an driven, allowing for greater security and control over
interconnected world. One big obstacle is all the deployed devices.”
communication protocols now associated with wireless Other semiconductor makers echo these sentiments.
technology and the Internet. Bluetooth, ZigBee, IEEE “As the IoT continues to evolve, we expect engineers will
802.11p, LTE and several others are all considered continue to see innovations from semiconductor vendors

42 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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 CASE OF FATIGUE

geared toward low-power devices and integration, such as more Consumers need to ensure
advanced on-chip security capabilities for low-end devices,”
said Gil Reiter, Texas Instruments, director, strategic marketing, their HVAC, lighting,
IoT. “These trends will drive more battery-operated IoT designs.
Better memory and processing capabilities on microcontrollers audio/visual and
and processors will enable the design of smarter devices capable
of making more local decisions.” security systems speak
The same trend toward smaller packaging is evident in
electronic passive components. “As more things become the same language. But
connected, more care must be given to certain types of isolation.
Connected machines, motors and devices have created the this equipment typically
need for common-mode chokes for EMI compatibility as well
as miniature isolation transformers,” said Len Crane, director of comes from multiple
technical marketing, Coilcraft. Coilcraft makes chip inductors,
power magnetics, EMI filters, wideband transformers and similar manufacturers, so the
magnetic components.
Much has been written about the continual shrinking size of task of getting them to
semiconductors, but the IoT is forcing passive components to
get smaller as well. “We’ve made huge advances in recent years, talk is challenging.
particularly with our XAL/XFL families of ultra-small, ultra efficient
power inductors,” said Crane. “They are built using wirewound
construction and housed in rugged, magnetic-shielding bodies.”
To get a sense of the demands IoT applications can put on
passive components, Crane relays a situation that cropped up
recently in an energy harvesting product. “We were asked to
develop a miniature flyback transformer for low-voltage step- GoLogic XL
Logic Analyzer
up. That is where our LPR6235 Series came from,” he said. “It
measures just 6 mm square and 3.5 mm high with turns ratios
from 1:10 to 1:100. This application wasn’t realistic 10 years
ago, both from the energy supply and consumption sides of the
equation. Compact energy harvesters have reached a price point
that can make sense, and power consumption has now been
FAST PROBLEM SOLVER
reduced to the point where these applications can be supported
by harvested energy.”
Similarly, the advent of smaller electronics has forced makers
of power supplies to develop more power-dense modules able
to work at low voltages. CUI says the trend has accelerated as
processor and FPGA designs have pushed supply voltages down
to 1 V or less. As a result, voltages in the 1.8 to 3 V range are
only used for specialized I/O devices that interface to memory
and peripherals. But CUI points out that the maximum power
PC Hosted
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of tens of watts, and pushing more than 100 W for the highest-
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To handle such needs, CUI recently released a 3-kW hot- • 36 or 72 Channels • 1 GHz Transitional Sampling
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300MHz State Analysis
3000. It has a power density of 33.5 W/in.3. To address the
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released a 90-A digital non-isolated module (NDM3Z-90)
Fax 256-837-5221
designed specifically to provide high current and precise email: contact@[Link]
voltages as low as 0.6 V.

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 43

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 Internet of Things

COMMUNICATING ACROSS THE IoT

[Link]

And IoT processors work with memory sizes that

Obviously, there will be a lot of traditionally can sometimes be quite small. The result is that
“unconnected” objects that will start sporting an RTOS destined for IoT use needs an ability
communication features once the IoT gets to scale—supporting a broad range of devices
rolling. Signs of the trend are already emerging. packing a variety of memory and processing
An example comes from the realm of position power combinations.
encoders used for gauging the position and The diversity also increases the
speed of rotating shafts. Rotary encoders likelihood of security vulnerabilities. To stay
from CUI nowadays contain an ASIC and an ahead of hackers, devices forming the IoT
MCU. The electronics imbue the encoders must be remotely managed and updated.
with control features including the ability to Consequently, more RTOSs are moving to
programmatically set resolution, zero point a modular approach that facilitates rapid
and commutation signals with GUI software. upgrades, based on a stable core and add-
Additionally, the encoders sport onboard on components.
diagnostics to aid in field-failure analysis. The An example of an RTOS built with the
encoder can be queried to indicate if it is IoT in mind is one called Nucleus from Mentor
operating properly or if there’s been a failure Graphics. Nucleus Product Manager Andrew
from a mechanical misalignment on the shaft or Caples described it as featuring a small footprint
from other issues. with IoT and M2M connectivity protocols,
The same type of features can implement networking middleware and security, all scalable
preventative measures. In the case of CUI to conform to resource-constrained devices.
encoders, for example, a test sequence run Nucleus also has a built-in power management
before starting an application can verify the framework designed to handle the low-power
encoder is supplying valid data. features in processors and SoCs so applications
With all the digital entities that the can be written to minimize power consumption
IoT will network together, it might be easy to extend battery life.
to become bogged down with the sheer Many IoT applications tend to sit in
volume of connections. Real-time operating cramped quarters that limit the volume available
systems (RTOSs) will likely help head off such for electronics. With this reality in mind, Nucleus
problems because they can do so without supports memory space partitioning. This is
introducing delays. an ability to allocate memory resources based
RTOSs have been widely applied on the use case, Caples explained. Memory
for decades in control systems handling partitions can be used to load application
applications such as car engines and processes when required; they can be unloaded
industrial process control. An RTOS meets to free-up memory. This feature is particularly
control deadlines deterministically, running helpful, said Caples, for wearable products that
and executing tasks within a guaranteed tend to be based on multicore SoCs. “Although
time frame. the systems are limited in resources, they still
A complicating factor, though, is that include complex user interfaces, middleware,
devices being connected to the IoT are quite and of course, connectivity. Not only is small
diverse. There are a variety of processors and footprint a requirement, but the ability to
brands of processors handling control tasks and leverage the existing resources is an absolute
running connected devices such as cell phones. must,” he said.

HIGH PRIORITY FOR LOW ENERGY

The diversity also increases the likelihood It has been an old truism that an army marches
on its stomach. In the same regard, it might
of security vulnerabilities. To stay ahead be said that IoT technologies often get
implemented because of their batteries. Much
of hackers, devices forming the IoT must of the IoT is battery powered, so there’s a
need for designers of these IoT devices to
be remotely managed and updated. thoroughly characterize and understand the

44 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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 CASE OF FATIGUE

dynamic energy use of their designs. The necessary measurements can REFERENCES
be challenging because of the dynamic nature of the current; a lot of IoT
devices transition between sleep current to a much more energy intense Argus Insights
[Link]
active state. The result is a low and pulsing current with fast rise and fall
times over a wide dynamic range. Coilcraft
Instrument makers have developed equipment specifically [Link]
designed for measuring these kinds of waveforms. Keysight
Technologies, for example, now markets instruments with the ability CUI Inc.,
[Link]
to accurately measure 10 sec worth of sleep currents in the microamp
range, while also recording currents of 2 amps or more, both in a single Intel Corp.
measurement pass. [Link]
Instrumentation able to handle this kind of range was unavailable
10 years ago; designers back then could only capture current spikes in Keysight Technologies
[Link]
the ampere range in one pass, microampere-level currents in another.
Though this procedure might have given an idea of the steady state Mentor Graphics
current situation, it would have introduced inaccuracies. [Link]
An insulin infusion pump illustrates how a wide dynamic range
can be handy for gauging electrical current. In one case, engineers TE Connectivity
[Link]
measured dynamic current drain (not just average current) while
evaluating different battery types. They also had to analyze the Texas Instruments
current drain profile and document the test results for FDA audits. [Link]
Use of a Keysight DC Power Analyzer (N6705B) helped characterize
the drain profile by means of its data logging mode. Developers
measured the initialization pulse, pump current pulse, keypad press

mull this over

current and sleep current.
Other kinds of equipment have also been developed for IoT
applications, including the Keysight EXM wireless test set. It can test
multiple, multi-format wireless transmitting devices simultaneously.
Keysight continues to add applications to address the formats widely
used in the IoT; including 802.11p, 802.11ah and 802.11af.
A typical application for these instruments is the testing of RF
modules built into the gateways. A gateway is a network node equipped
for interfacing with another network that uses different communication
protocols. Gateways may contain both cellular and non-cellular
transceivers. The RF modules that are built into these gateways must be Stay informed with
tested for various cellular and non-cellular formats (Bluetooth, ZigBee, the latest in adhesive technology
WLAN, LTE and others).
The Keysight one-box tester, the EXM (E6640A), or the Keysight Featuring the newest:
X-Series signal generator and signal analyzer are frequently used to test
• white papers
RF modules for these various wireless formats. Typically, X-Series signal
generators and analyzers serve in product development where there’s • videos
a need for high RF performance and flexibility to run a variety of tests • e-newsletters Visit our
as for multi-channel MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) testing. • technical tips resource library
The EXM one-box tester often serves in design validation and also
manufacturing. Both instruments use the same software tools.
In one case, engineers used the EXM one-box tester to test
an IEEE 802.11p WLAN module targeted at vehicle-to-vehicle
communications. Unlike IEEE 802.11a, which targets higher data
Hackensack, NJ 07601 USA • +1.201.343.8983
rates, the goal of 802.11p is reliable communication. Testing main@[Link]
requirements, consequently, are much more stringent than for other
WLAN standards. For example, 802.11p has much stricter spectrum [Link]
emission mask (SEM) requirements for class C and D devices.

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 45

Trends_EE_IoT_Vs3.indd 45 9/11/15 1:57 PM

 Internet of Things

Building IoT
[Link]

There is no such thing as an IoT communication

standard, so networks will need to cope with numerous
devices having different communication requirements. At

gateways to
one end will be simple wireless devices such as battery-
powered sensors and actuators that will transmit little
data while operating unattended for several years. At
the other end—literally and figuratively—will be high-

the cloud
bandwidth, mission-critical services and devices such
as autonomous cars demanding constant, reliable and
super-secure connections.
In most cases there’s no direct connection between
the thing, the cloud or the remote application. Instead,
they will connect through a gateway. For one example,
consider an apartment complex equipped with a
network of ZigBee-based fire-detection
Test instruments help ensure connections to the cloud and entry sensors: Data is compiled
and stored in a local ADSL intelligent
coexist peacefully with IoT communication schemes. gateway that periodically reports to a
security company. The gateway would
be programmed to immediately raise
MARTHA ZEMEDE an alarm when the system detects an abnormal sensor
Keysight Technologies
response. Gateways make data flow seamlessly and

P
securely from sensors and other edge devices to the
eople once thought that a “thing” on the cloud. In general, a gateway is responsible for translating
“Internet of Things” was an item that could be between protocols and the interoperation of individual
counted—RFID tags on shipping containers, for devices, the app and the cloud.
example, or parking lot exit-and-entry systems that know While cellular and WiFi are quite common
when the lot is full. Today, an IoT “thing” can be any natural wireless standards, emerging low-power wide-area
or man-made entity, fixed or mobile, able to transfer data networks (LPWAN), such as Sigfox, LoRa and PLANet,
over a network. A common healthcare example is the are relatively new standards optimized for IoT/M2M
remote monitoring of a patient’s condition away from a communication. Unlike traditional cellular networks,
clinic or hospital. Another is a vehicle involved in a traffic LPWANs are optimized for low data rates, long battery
accident that not only summons emergency assistance, but life, low duty cycle, and the ability to coexist in a
also reports its location, the number of occupants and the shared spectrum using unlicensed ISM bands. An
severity of their injuries. example is in city street lamp lighting systems, which
It’s likely that a majority of IoT things will rely on tend to be in place for decades, far longer than typical
some kind of wireless communication technology. cellular standards are in force.
There are myriad wireless schemes. They range from Here are some brief descriptions of these
near-field communication (NFC) for mobile payments, emerging LPWANs.
to geosynchronous satellites for unattended remote Sigfox is a French firm that builds wireless
weather stations, and everything in between: Bluetooth, networks handling low data rate IoT and M2M
wireless LAN (WLAN), cellular, ZigBee, point-to-point applications. Its cellular-style network uses a patented
radio and more. radio technology based on ultra-narrow band (UNB)
These wireless points will connect to the cloud through technology. The throughput is characterized by up to
IoT Gateways. Gateways are the link between end devices 140 messages per object per day, with a payload size
and the cloud. In many instances, there is no direct of 12 bytes per message, and wireless throughput of
connection between the thing and the cloud, or the remote up to 100 b/sec. Sigfox said each base station can
application that needs to communicate with it. Rather than handle up to a million connected objects, but the
connect directly to the Internet, each device will use one or network is scalable to handle more objects. The density
more standards to connect to a higher level gateway that of the cells is based on an average range of about
is responsible for protocol and operation of the individual 30 to 50 km in rural areas and 3 to 10 km in cities.
device with the cloud. Distances can be much higher for outdoor objects

46 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

Keysight_EE_IoT_Vs4.indd 46 9/11/15 5:50 PM

 GATEWAYS TO THE CLOUD

One way to size up various wireless protocol

candidates for IoT applications is by the projected
range of their connections.

where messages in line-of-sight can travel a new device category called Category-0 Gateways will increasingly use standard
over 1,000 km. or Cat-0. Significant optimization of Cat-0 interfaces to devices and to the cloud, but
A LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide-area MTC is planned for Release 13 (March 2016), the amount of intelligence they’ll need will
Network) is a LPWAN specification targeting targeting lower-cost, lower-complexity devices depend on specific applications. One key
low-cost, low-power, mobile, bi-directional with reduced transmission power, ultra-long to rapid deployment of custom gateways is
communications for IoT, M2M, smart city battery life and extended-coverage operation. the availability of test gear flexible enough
and industrial applications. It uses a spread Looking for even better link budget, to meet the needs of engineers across
spectrum modulation scheme derived from cost and power consumption than available R&D, manufacturing and deployment. To
Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) modulation. with LTE-MTC (Cat-0), the GSM (Global understand this flexibility in this context,
This technology is standardized by a group of System for Mobile Communications) EDGE consider an example: Early in product
companies in the LoRa Alliance and defines (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) development, engineers can run simulations
several classes of end-point devices to address Radio Access Network (GERAN) groups that include virtual measurement tools.
wide range of applications. are proposing two strands for what’s called These can attach to nodes in the simulation,
The PLANet communication scheme is cellular IoT (CIoT). One is based on an providing realistic views of how the product
from a UK firm called Telensa. Like Sigfox, it evolution of GSM and the other uses clean- will perform. As the design moves from
uses UNB wireless technology. PLANet was slate radio access technologies aimed at simulation to reality, physical device modules
originally designed for controlling networks low-end IoT applications. can be substituted into the simulation, and real
of street lights. It has also been used in a measurements replace their virtual simulations.
wireless parking space monitoring system TECHNOLOGIES VERSUS RANGE Once prototypes are available, engineers
called PARKet, which detects cars, monitors When it comes to the communication can make use of lab-grade test equipment,
parking space availability and delivers real- technologies being proposed for IoT, there is which generally has built-in measurement
time information to drivers about where to find no firm definition of the boundaries of WPAN, applications that can show whether the
a parking space. WLAN, WNAN and WWAN. To facilitate prototype performs to standards. For custom
A typical PLANet base station consists future development, standards are quickly gateway products, engineers can do pre-
of a radio, antenna and sensor. Each base forming and evolving as new devices become qualification testing for each supported format
station has a range of several miles and connected. Currently, there are more than 60 to verify the product will meet the relevant
communicates with Telecell devices installed legacy and new RF formats in use for M2M specifications, including interoperability with
at each monitored point. (In the case of and IoT-related applications. other communication standards.
lighting systems, a luminaire. For parking The multitude of these RF formats
systems, a parking spot.) A central server came about because some companies REFERENCES
manages connections with Telecell units have developed proprietary communication
through base stations. schemes out of expediency: They have Keysight Technologies
[Link]
Of course, the cellular standards been relatively easy to create because
bodies are not standing still. The 3GPP they generally work at low data rates, their Sigfox white paper
(3rd Generation Partnership Project) has transmissions consume little power, and there [Link]
been working toward support for IoT and are minimal interoperability requirements. This
machine-type communication (MTC). Release approach is likely to fall out of favor because Telensa PLANet system
[Link]/about/about-telensa
12 of the standard (March 2015) added an the globalization of markets is pushing designs
MTC extension to LTE-Advanced, defining toward use of standardized methods.

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 47

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 Internet of Things

Data, data everywhere,

[Link]

but no insights in sight

LESLIE LANGNAU
Managing Editor
@DW_3DPrinting

R
ecently, I had to call my a hardwire cable in hopes of getting more reliable
wireless Internet service Internet service. That means fewer devices trying to
provider because my connect wirelessly, yet our service still crashes often.
internet service was super slow. The So I snigger when I hear we are going to connect
customer service rep asked me how billions of devices to the Internet for the Internet
many devices I have connected to of Things. Particularly for the Industrial IoT, many of
the Internet. I answered four. Four! these devices will need to transmit reliably so as not
Apparently, that was at least one too to produce scrap.
many. I would need to upgrade to Has anyone informed the Internet service
the Turbo Charged bandwidth for an providers about the Tsunami of data the IoT will throw
additional monthly fee. at them? Are we really going to be able to connect
The office I work in also has billions of data-transmitting devices to the Internet
wireless Internet service, from the without crashes all the time?
same provider—it has a monopoly Just for reference: 1,024 GB = 1 TB; 1,024 TB
in our geographic area. On average, = 1 petabyte (PB); 1,024 PB = 1 exabyte (EB); 1,024
our office has about 60 to 80 EB = 1 zettabyte. In the year 2003, the world’s
devices connecting with the population of Internet-linked accounts created 3 EB
Internet daily. The wireless of “information.” Today, with just Google, Amazon,
crashes frequently, so Microsoft and Facebook, we are at 1 EB. Now include
frequently that many individual and corporate websites. How many more
of us choose to exabytes will we generate once billions of devices are
connect through all connected to the IoT?
Have the promoters of the IoT thought about
just how they are going to manage petabytes
of data? Manufacturers with connected factories
thought about this more than 20 years ago when they
connected all their “islands of automation.” They
gathered data from every sensor, every chip, every
control that they could—sensor on, sensor off, on,
off, on, off, on, off, and so on. The data arrived at a
millisecond rate. More than 90% of these collected
data indicated everything operated as planned. That’s
when management questioned the logic of seeing
every single bit of data. Thus began management

We are drowning in information by exception—only if the sensor doesn’t go on as

planned do you want to know about it.

but starved for knowledge.

The hype of the IoT is ridiculous. Unfortunately, it
is driving many decisions, including design decisions.
Will more data really deliver more insight? Or will it
— John Naisbitt simply drown us?

48 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

Leslie_EE_IoT_Vs4.indd 48 9/11/15 2:09 PM

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House_ad_EE_ad_Vs3.indd 49 9/14/15 9:23 AM

 Internet of Things

What will the Industrial

[Link]

Internet of Things mean

to manufacturers?
LESLIE LANGNAU
Managing Editor

How will the IIoT affect manufacturing operations

and processes? Experts weigh in.

T
he words—the Internet of Things (IoT), data, analytics, virtualization and mobility are the
Industry 4.0, or the Industrial Internet of evolutionary steps to harness the most powerful
Things (IIoT) are new. But the goal is not new— element that too few manufacturers today are fully
use data from machinery and equipment to improve capitalizing on: their own data.”
overall manufacturing performance, efficiency, more “IIoT’s newfound celebrity, though, elevates
uptime and lower costs. automation to a C-suite topic where it always should
“A lot of us have noted that IIoT is something we have been, so future projects might get funded when the
could do a decade or more ago,” said John Kowal, next machine is specified,” added Kowal.
director, business development at B&R Automation. The advances in microprocessors used in field
Yet, a number of manufacturing facilities either have devices are key to IIoT. “These developments
not taken advantage of connecting their enterprises allow us as manufacturers to take advantage of
or they lag way behind. “Despite more than 30 years the onboard computing power to provide more
of industrial device level buses, increased computer data to operators/customers,” said Randy Durick,
capability and control, a number of manufacturing VP, Network and Interface Div., TURCK. As the
facilities and businesses are not as connected and marketplace becomes more sophisticated about
If the IIoT comes to automated as they could be,” said Jeremy King, product using the supplied data, the more efficient and
fruition, HMI devices marketing manager, Bimba Manufacturing. connected the industrial workplace becomes.
and controls, like these
Agreed Mike Hannah, market development for But others see different possibilities with the
from Red Lion, will
be key to transmitting The Connected Enterprise, Rockwell Automation, IIoT. “The ‘Internet of Things’ disruption will alter the
data for analysis. “The proliferation of these smarter end points, big ways our machines interact,” said Armin Pühringer,

50 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

Industrial_EE_IoT_Vs4.indd 50 9/11/15 2:14 PM

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 Internet of Things
[Link]

business development manager, Hilscher Gesellschaft für “Ultimately, the IIoT is going to open the door to
Systemautomation. “The automation pyramid will change greater efficiency, better performance and more uptime,”
from being a vertical structure to a more horizontal added King.
one. Machines, systems and even production lines and Efficiency: “The increasingly global nature of
businesses will become so highly de-centralized and manufacturing means we need to find ways to optimize
yet inter-connected that our network architectures will processes and cut out inefficiencies for the long-term
morph more and more into mesh systems. Machines and viability of many enterprises,” said Daymon Thompson,
systems will become autonomous and have far greater TwinCAT product specialist, Beckhoff Automation.
flexibility. Some experts are even predicting that IIoT Improved maintenance: “IIoT can give manufacturers
could usher in an era of mass-produced one-offs, among better ways to monitor equipment for Overall Equipment
other developments.” Effectiveness (OEE) scoring, detect trends in production and
Clearly, the IIoT means different things to different equipment behavior, while evolving predictive maintenance
organizations depending on their needs and their openness systems to further reduce unscheduled downtime for
to the technology. In general, though, the IIoT is believed equipment service and replacements,” Thompson added.
to be able to deliver the following benefits: Because the IIoT is about data, predictive maintenance will
Connectivity: The demand for connectivity may be one of the first applications to take advantage.
be “as simple as an email generated by a PLC/HMI sent Increased automation: “Instead of the factory
to a maintenance technician, or an HMI screen capture being a building of individual machines and processes
showing production data sent to a plant manager, up that must be manually integrated and controlled,” said
to a complete FTP file transfer of real-time production Allen Tubbs, product manager, Electric Drives and
data sent to corporate management across the world,” Controls at Bosch Rexroth, “the factory will become an
said Gary Marchuk, director of business development, intelligent organism of sorts, able to detect and react to
AutomationDirect. its own environment.”
“Manufacturers will be able to connect many different Improved remote diagnostics: For those who provide
devices, including older equipment, and get them to ‘talk’ remote diagnostic services, the IIoT should help service
with each other in a way that they could not before, and providers deliver better service and reduce or eliminate
use that data to improve efficiency and gain a competitive backlogs, and ultimately build customer loyalty, noted Bob
advantage,” added Colin Geis, product marketing manager, Gates, global marketing director, GE Intelligent Platforms.
Red Lion Controls. “This connectivity is one of the key Adaptive processes: Most manufacturing is still at the
building blocks for the IIoT.” stage where changes in product offerings or unexpected
Visibility: “The IIoT means unprecedented visibility orders require production line modifications, which usually
for all levels into the manufacturing process and enables a require line shutdown to handle. “If the IIoT succeeds,
dramatic rise in the amount of flexibility in production,” said then production lines will adapt automatically to product
Will Healy III, strategic marketing manager, Balluff. modifications,” said Nuzha Yakoob, product manager,
Positioning, at Festo.
Connected supply chain: Many challenges related

The goal of the IIoT is not new—use data from to logistics, such as material shortages and inventory costs,
could be minimized or eliminated if manufacturers were

machinery and equipment to improve overall more connected and automated. IIoT systems can feed
data to an ERP system providing real-time information to

manufacturing performance, efficiency, more accounting functions.

“The underlying concept is an outgrowth of a variety of

uptime and lower costs. production processes made possible by new technologies,”
said Anthony Varga, president, Canada, SVP, North America
Strategic Sales, Rittal. The focus is no longer simply on
The IIoT, however, will require manufacturers to adopt optimizing individual engineering, production or logistics
new ways of thinking. IT and operational groups will need stages separately, but on addressing their interrelation
closer working relationships. New and more resources will in value chains and value adding networks to establish
be needed to manage the influx of data. A more thorough efficient, cost-effective processes with maximum flexibility
understanding of manufacturing that can be used to form and high customer benefit.”
analytical algorithms will be needed to derive actionable With the IIoT, manufacturers will have the capability
insights from that data. to track every aspect of a business, from managing

52 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

Industrial_EE_IoT_Vs4.indd 52 9/11/15 2:14 PM

 IIoT MEAN TO MANUFACTURERS

manufacturing processes, suppliers and inventory, all the way down to REFERENCES
field service staff. “When fully leveraged, IIoT can mean better inventory
management, pulled production instead of pushed production, accurate AutomationDirect
activity-based costing, automatic adjusted logistics that adapt to changes in the [Link]
manufacturing layer and productivity increases,” said Matt O’Kane, VP of the Balluff
Industry Business, Schneider Electric. [Link]
The IIoT reflects the growing number of smart, connected products
and highlights new opportunities they can represent. Yet it’s not helpful in Beckhoff Automation
understanding the phenomenon or its implications. [Link]
“What makes smart, connected products fundamentally different is not the B&R Automation
Internet, but the changing nature of the ‘things,’” said Jim Heppelmann, CEO of [Link]
PTC. “It is the expanded capabilities of smart, connected products and the data
they generate that are ushering in a new era of competition.” Bimba Manufacturing Co.
Added Suzanne Lee, director of marketing, Siemens Digital Factory, “The [Link]
Internet of Things Digitalization acts as an accelerator for business processes and Bosch Rexroth
is revolutionizing global business. Companies can work together more closely [Link]
and faster with partners, communicate directly with end customers, and deal
effectively with their specific changing requirements.” FESTO
[Link]

GE Intelligent Platforms
[Link]

Hilscher Gesellschaft für

Systemautomation
[Link]

PTC
[Link]

Red Lion Controls

[Link]

Rittal
[Link]

Rockwell Automation
[Link]

Schneider Electric
[Link]/us/en

Siemens Digital Factory

[Link]

TURCK
[Link]

In some cases, the IIoT will eliminate machine cabinets for drives, such as this
configuration from Bosch Rexroth for its IndraDrive Mi systems.

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 53

Industrial_EE_IoT_Vs4.indd 53 9/11/15 2:14 PM

 Internet of Things

IIoT—the technological
[Link]

changes coming to
automation equipment
and systems
LESLIE LANGNAU
Managing Editor

Experts discuss the changes in technology that will

enable greater connectivity and data gathering, and how

it will affect your designs.

O
verall, the IIoT is primarily a concept—better business operations
through knowledge. The basic technology to achieve this concept
will be smart sensors, communication buses and analytical software.
Vendors are developing creative solutions within these areas.
“We see the IIoT as comprised of three basic technology attributes:
intelligence (logic solving, data collection, signal conditioning); networking
(wired serial or Ethernet, wireless LAN, cellular, Bluetooth); and communications
(protocols and APIs),” said Ben Orchard, applications engineer at Opto 22.
The ability to have data at your fingertips, thanks to recent technology
developments like mobile platforms, is part of what’s driving the implementation
of wider connectivity. Noted Gary Marchuk, director of business development at
AutomationDirect, “Our customers have constantly demanded that they have
the ability to access data from their HMI or PLC on their cell phone or tablet.”

Secure transmission
But existing networks will not disappear. “Instead,” said Armin Pühringer,
business development manager, Hilscher Gesellschaft für Systemautomation,
“our networking infrastructures—particularly at the higher levels—will have to be

will be a requirement changed to deal with Big Data and its potential.”
A technology helping to push the limits of what was previously thought
possible for data collection and communication is the field programmable gate

for the IIoT to become array (FPGA). “Through FPGAs, we’ve distributed intelligence down to the I/O
slice level like never before,” said John Kowal, director, business development
at B&R Automation. “We have a slice that closes the loop internally in one
a reality on the microsecond, without needing to go up to the PLC CPU first.”
Other technological changes Kowal is seeing include affordable

factory floor.
accelerometers. Thanks to the smartphone, these accelerometers can be used
to monitor key bearings for predictive maintenance.

54 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

Technological_EE_IoT_Vs4.indd 54 9/11/15 2:16 PM

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Hilschler_EE_ad.indd 55 9/9/15 4:46 PM

 Internet of Things
[Link]

And technology can take things even For some, this investment involves the
further, soon. Added Kowal, “We can put open standard IO-Link. IO-Link technology
software algorithms in servo drives to smooth uses a master device talking on Ethernet and
out disturbances before they have an impact provides access to multiple smart sensors. IO-
on the drivetrain.” Link field devices can communicate diagnostic
Another area that design engineers information and preventative warnings and can
will see improvement will be security for receive parameters for configuration.
communications. As recent news reports Other technology that engineers will
indicate, everyone will need to determine see includes scalable performance CPUs and
how best to secure not only the data, but software tools that represent the convergence
the machines and systems sending the data. of automation technology (AT) and Information
Secure transmission will be a requirement for Technology (IT). “Developments in cloud-
the IIoT to become a reality on the factory floor. based systems and services, such as Microsoft
Data security in cloud-based systems can Azure and Amazon Web Services, represent
be assured through standards like OPC UA ideal platforms to store manufacturing data
with its built-in data encryption in horizontal sent from connected machine controls,”
communication architectures. said Daymon Thompson, TwinCAT product
But part of getting more data out of specialist, Beckhoff Automation.
automation processes means much more While vendors of more proprietary,
connectivity than is working today. Noted “closed” architecture systems must develop
Will Healy III, strategic marketing manager, products that can implement web- and cloud-
Balluff, “Visibility into the manufacturing based solutions, PC-based controls have
process requires that even some of the lowest quickly adapted to new protocols and cloud
devices need to be seen and communicated to. connected technology without the need for
Getting visibility to thousands of sensors and new hardware offerings.
actuators on a production line would require
dramatic investment in Industrial Ethernet COMMUNICATION KEYS
architecture to implement IoT in every device.” One challenge now with IIoT installations, is
that most do not use a standard Ethernet
based protocol. While Ethernet is commonly
used by just about everything, it’s not a “plug-
and-play” setup. Some vendors are urging a
more cohesive approach.
“Several leading players in industrial
automation, such as Festo, have products
that communicate over a range of industrial
network protocols including Ethernet based
protocols such as EtherCAT, Profinet and
Ethernet/IP,” said Nuzha Yakoob, product
manager, Positioning, Festo. Connecting to the
enterprise level, though, typically involves PLCs
or gateways.
Hilscher also offers a chip family
that connects to all popular automation
network protocol stacks with one driver
interface. The netX chip family supports
interoperability of different standards and
communication systems.
Some argue that to increase productivity
and profitability, a single network platform is
necessary. A single network lets manufacturers
take advantage of advanced cloud services and

56 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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 TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES COMING

Your Global Automation Partner

data driven manufacturing, and can also provide greater

security throughout.
“Thanks to advances in wireless technology,” said
Doug Bellin, global senior manager for Manufacturing and
Energy, Cisco, “users can add more data-gathering end
points onto a network. As wireless speeds reach those of a
traditional wired network, new opportunities arise for real-

Existing networks will not disappear. ‘Instead

our networking infrastructures—particularly
at the higher levels—will have to be changed
to deal with Big Data and its potential.’
WARNING
Not suitable for repairing
cheap controls
—Armin Pühringer (or your reputation).
Business Development Manager
Hilscher Gesellschaft für Systemautomation

time monitoring, analytics, and computing at the edge, Rugged, reliable industrial
also known as fog computing.” automation products from TURCK
Another example of a cohesive communication
approach is the Connected Enterprise from Rockwell are built to perform in the toughest
Automation. This approach should boost the advantages conditions, and our engineered
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solutions are customized to meet your
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useage and enterprise risk management. offs can’t compare. TURCK works!
Central to achieving The Connected Enterprise, or
any smart manufacturing initiative, is the need to converge
information technology (IT) and operations technology
(OT). Some companies, like Rockwell, are aligning with
other IT and OT market leaders—like Cisco, Microsoft,
Panduit and AT&T. Rockwell aims to continue to drive The
TBEN-S1
Connected Enterprise vision forward and help solve real-
Ultra-Compact
world customer problems that cannot be solved without Multiprotocol
such cooperation. Ethernet I/O
In the future, with the implementation of Industry Modules
4.0 there will be only one, worldwide standard Enormous flexibility in
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FROM RAW TO USEFUL extremes of hot and cold.

Another huge challenge will be dealing with all the

gathered data that will be sent wirelessly. Some
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Call 1-800-544-7769 or visit [Link]/networks

9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 57

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 Internet of Things
[Link]

One challenge now with IIoT installations, is that most do

not use a standard Ethernet based protocol. While Ethernet is
commonly used by just about everything, it’s not a
“plug-and-play”
setup. Some vendors are urging a more cohesive approach.

wirelessly every day! Manufacturing, management and engineers will need Another example is Rexroth’s
sophisticated analytic programs to turn raw gathered data into meaningful Open Core Interface. It provides a
and actionable information. software development kit for the
Noted Colin Geis, product marketing manager, Red Lion Controls, company’s motion control systems
“One key IIoT development will be protocol conversion. This function will in different programming platforms.
help users deal with the challenge of gathering data from all the different “The benefit is that they have quick
connectivity/communication protocols used by manufacturing floor devices.” and easy access to our ‘things’ and
One example of such a program is the Historian data management other ‘things’ connected to our
platform that GE has been using for years to capture data without having to control without needing to know our
archive them. “When you have that amount of data at your fingertips,” said programming software,” said Allen
Bob Gates, global marketing director, GE Intelligent Platforms, “you can better Tubbs, program manager, Electric
understand correlations, look at what you were able to do versus what you are Drives and Controls, Bosch Rexroth.
doing now and conduct this analysis with specific products and materials. It’s “The continued growth of cheap and
no longer anecdotal that you need product A followed by product B to run the affordable processing power enables
plant equipment more efficiently. Now it’s product B followed by product A and smart products. Thus, you can
the why is because you have the validation through data. offload processing power, enabling

58 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

Technological_EE_IoT_Vs4.indd 58 9/11/15 2:16 PM

 TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES COMING

Your Global Automation Partner

devices to think on their own, collecting and processing REFERENCES

their own data and communicating only relevant data back
to other systems.” AutomationDirect
Schneider Electric offers several examples of IIoT [Link]
ready components. “We have a number of products Balluff
with dynamic QR codes for smart diagnostics,” said [Link]
Matt O’Kane, VP, Industry Business, Schneider Electric.
“Our Altivar Process drives are the first with embedded Beckhoff Automation
intelligence to help with big data and analytics applications. [Link]
Additionally, our Vijeo Design’Air mobile app for the B&R Automation
configuration of control devices increases the speed of [Link]
commissioning and helps reduce plant downtime.”
PTC offers the ThingWorx IoT development
platform to enable better service, more uptime and Bimba Manufacturing
[Link]
differentiated product design for developers of smart,
connected products. With this platform, designers Bosch Rexroth

WARNING
can include functions that unify visibility, trigger alerts, [Link]
and develop analytics that help improve operational
performance and reduce wast. Cisco
[Link]
But should everything be connected to the Internet? Not suitable for repairing
A direct connection may not be the best approach. “While FESTO
developments in microprocessors make more diagnostic, [Link] cheap controls
status, configuration and preventative maintenance data
GE Intelligent Platforms (or your reputation).
available,” said Randy Durick, VP, Network and Interface
[Link]
Div., TURCK, “in many instances, it may not make sense
to directly connect field devices to the Internet. Here, Hilscher Gesellschaft für
innovative fieldbus technology has a strong place. In Systemautomation
this scenario, the field device still has a microprocessor [Link]
that eases device configuration and diagnostic data,
Opto 22
but given the number of field devices in some larger [Link] Rugged, reliable industrial
applications, it may not make sense to connect directly
to the IIoT. However, in using some device-level protocol PTC
automation products from TURCK
and elevating this information to the Internet or Ethernet [Link] are built to perform in the toughest
through an I/O device, a user has essentially connected the conditions, and our engineered
Red Lion Controls
device to the Internet.” [Link]
Of course, sensors are the nerve endings of the solutions are customized to meet your
Internet backbone and will play a huge role in the IIoT. An application challenges. Cheap knock-
example is the IntelliSense sensor from Bimba. “For use on Rittal
[Link] offs can’t compare. TURCK works!
pneumatic actuators, this sensor collects and analyzes data
at the actuator level to gain insights into how the actuator Rockwell Automation
is performing and to have a sound basis for considering [Link]
improvements,” said Jeremy King, product marketing FEN20-4DIP-4DXP Multiprotocol
manager, Bimba Manufacturing. Schneider Electric Ethernet I/O Module
[Link]/ Compact version of plug-and-
And finally, IIoT technology will speed the play FEN20 devices with
us/en
development of documentation. Noted Anthony Varga, integrated web server,
president, Canada, SVP North America Strategic Sales, Siemens Digital Factory designed to make

Rittal, as manual processes convert to automation, any [Link] standard switching

signals quickly and
changes made to products can also be automated.
Drawings, schematics, bills of material, 2D and/or 3D TURCK effectively bus-capable

[Link]
layouts, manufacturing lists and instructions can be
simultaneously revised, reducing opportunities for error
and the subsequent need for expensive rework.
Call 1-800-544-7769 or visit [Link]/networks

9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 59

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 Internet of Things

Who’s investing
[Link]

in IIoT and why

Medical, automation, automotive, food and beverage, material handling—so many

industries plan to take advantage of IIoT. Experts explain why.

C
LESLIE LANGNAU onnecting various devices, systems and equipment together
Managing Editor through an Ethernet platform has been going on for years in
various manufacturing industries. Data about manufacturing
machine performance and operation used to be loaded up to
“dashboards” monitored by upper management. An overwhelming
amount of data, though, shifted this effort from recording every single
device operation to “management by exception,” where only certain
bits of data were analyzed for importance.
Why are manufacturing industries returning to massive data
gathering? And which industries are doing so?

The answer to which industries is easy:

“We have seen the IoT applications in dozens of industries from oil
and gas, paper products, recycling, plastics, vending, food and
Web accessible pages, such as this one from
beverage, medical machinery, automotive and wastewater,” said Gary
Beckhoff Automation, can be accessed from Marchuk, director of business development, AutomationDirect. “The
almost any mobile platform. demand seems to exist just about everywhere.”
“We see greater interest in a variety of industries, from consumer
product manufacturing, to packaging, to material handling, heavy
industry, and more,” said Daymon Thompson, TwinCAT product
specialist, Beckhoff Automation.
“Don’t forget agriculture,” added Jeremy King, product
marketing manager, Bimba Manufacturing.

Answers for why include:

• The promise of getting almost any type of information in
digital format, which experts claim makes this information free
as well as “fluid.”
• The predictive potential of such data, especially its ability to
improve uptime. “Everyone wants to avoid having an actuator
wear out in the middle of a product run,” said King. “This is an
area most IIoT products are targeting.”
• Marketers, managers and product developers expect to learn
what customers want practically before they know themselves.
• Managers and manufacturing directors expect to know in

60 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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 C

CM

MY

CY

CMY

Kepware_EE_ad.indd 61 9/9/15 4:53 PM

 Internet of Things
[Link]

plenty of time when a machine “The ability of management to tend to be focused on finding root
component will break or need get instant access to manufacturing causes for problems that have
maintenance. throughput or yields while traveling already happened rather than
• “Access to device-level data around the world creates instant providing predictions that managers
and the ability to more value,” added Marchuk. can use to prevent problems.”
reliably operate and diagnose But the IIoT will need to offer Added Bob Gates, global
problems are factors in more than the possibility of helping marketing director, GE Intelligent
deploying Ethernet automation manufacturing reach these here-to- Platforms, “It’s not only beneficial
networks, thus allowing the fore unreachable goals. The next to use the Industrial Internet to
capability to connect more step may be to predict changes in build a better product, you can
devices to the Internet,” said equipment and processes. Some also use applications within those
Randy Durick, VP, Network and customers are looking at different products to run and manage them
Interface Div., TURCK. ways to use the data to improve better. That’s critical when you
how machines work together; they are talking about gaining better
“Making domestic manufacturing have broadened their perspective fuel capacity with certain weather
more affordable is a key theme of to more than just uptime. patterns or altitudes. Or, when
Industry 4.0,” added Thompson. According to some experts, you are sending a turbine out for
“This requires the optimization these are the customers that are at maintenance, you can now assess
of processes to accommodate the forefront of IIoT. how parts wear and see how to use
made-to-order manufacturing “Although commercial tools the turbine in the best way possible.
(lot size one), highly flexible have long been available to provide Maximizing asset potential—that is
manufacturing lines (such as object- Overall Equipment Effectiveness what it is all about.”
oriented manufacturing), quality (OEE) information to factory Many managers of
improvements, and production management,” said Anthony Varga, manufacturing operations have
throughput despite requirements for president, Canada, SVP, North experience with data gathering on
more frequent product changeovers.” America Strategic Sales, Rittal, “they their processes. As was mentioned

The ability to access machine performance from anywhere, helps OEMs optimize their
designs. Photo courtesy of B&R Automation

62 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 9 • 2015 [Link]

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 WHO’S INVESTING

Diagnostic data can be sent to remote applications written in C#,

Python, or accessed through OPC UA.

Currently only bits earlier, it’s been done before. The data that’s been
collected for nearly 30 years was primarily for making
and pieces of the true operations more efficient and reducing downtime—the
same goals mentioned today.
potential of the IoT “Some of the large end users have been collecting all
kinds of machine data for a long time,” said John Kowal,
are being implemented director, business development, B&R Automation. “But
they will tell you: it’s tough to get their arms around, to
in industry. analyze and use. Meanwhile, machine builders know their
machines and they are in a perfect position to offer IIoT
functionality as a service, one they can turn on or off using
the existing control hardware. And being able to access
REFERENCES
— Nuzha Yakoob, their machines’ performance data helps them optimize
their designs.”
Product Manager, This time vendors can put more sensors on more AutomationDirect
[Link]
industrial components. This time, manufacturers know a
Festo
bit more about their production processes and can factor Beckhoff Automation
that in to their analyses. But there will be challenges. [Link]
The goals of better, faster, more cost efficient,
and more flexible operations will deliver terabytes B&R Automation
[Link]
(1 TB is roughly 1,000 GB) of data to users, per day.
Manufacturers must have a new generation of IT Bimba Manufacturing
infrastructure to handle the data between the plant floor [Link]
and the enterprise.
“Currently only bits and pieces of the true potential of the FESTO
[Link]
IoT are being implemented in industry,” said Nuzha Yakoob,
product manager, Festo. “Manufacturers of automation GE Intelligent Platforms
hardware, such as PLCs and motion control devices, are [Link]
able to incorporate the electronics and Ethernet protocols
into their hardware and some go as far as saying that their Rittal
[Link]
hardware is IoT ready. However, the standardized open
Ethernet protocol is yet to be defined and the required IT TURCK
infrastructure is yet to be implemented.” [Link]

[Link] 9 • 2015 DESIGN WORLD — EE Network 63

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 Internet of Things

Ad Index
[Link]

Acopian Technical Co........................................................ 19 Memory Protection Devices, Inc. ........................................ 9

Allegro MicroSystems, LLC................................................ 23 Mornsun Guangzhou Science and Technology Co.,Ltd. .......31
Allied Electronics, Inc. ......................................................BC National Instruments Corp. ................................................ 3
CTS Corp. ........................................................................... 5 Newcomb Co., Inc. ........................................................... 43
Digi-Key Corp........................................................Cover, IFC RECOM Electronic GmbH & Co. ...................................... 17
GE Intelligent Platforms...................................................... 1 Renco Electronics, Inc. ........................................................ 4
Hilscher North America..................................................... 55 Rogers Corp. ...................................................................... 7
Integrated Device Technology, Inc. .................................. 11 Tadiran Batteries................................................................ 37
KEB America, Inc. ............................................................. 51 TURCK, Inc. ................................................................ 57, 59
Kepware, Inc. .................................................................... 61 WAGO Corp. ...................................................................IBC
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SALES LEADERSHIP TEAM

VP Sales Regional Sales Manager Publisher

Todd Tidmore Tom Lazar Mike Emich
ttidmore@[Link] tlazar@[Link] memich@[Link]
512.626.8263 408.701.7944 508.446.1823
@wtwh_ttidmore @wtwh_Tom @wtwh_memich

VP of EE Product Development Regional Sales Manager Managing Director

Mike Caruso Courtney Seel Scott McCafferty
mcaruso@[Link] cseel@[Link] smccafferty@[Link]
469.855.7344 440.523.1685 310.279.3844
@wtwh_CSeel @SMMcCafferty
VP, Business Development
Michael Ference Regional Sales Manager EVP
mference@[Link] Jessica East Marshall Matheson
408.769.1188 jeast@[Link] mmatheson@[Link]
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tchristenson@[Link] Neel Gleason
440.381.9048 ngleason@[Link]
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VP, Business Development
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jpowers@[Link]
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